Treatment of Individuals with Chronic Mental Illness in Appalachia and Suggestions for Future Intervention Approaches and Research

Treatment of individuals with chronic mentally illness has been examined to determine the current models and most effective forms of treatment. A literature review was conducted that examined the current literature on the treatment available and the various approaches to treatment programs. It is noted that the most effective forms of treatment use collaboration between various disciplines, including psychiatry, psychology, general medical treatment, and social work/case management. The available research indicates that professionals should continue to develop collaborative approaches that address the multitude of needs that the chronically mentally ill present. Suggestions for future research are offered, including research on the feasibility of approaches that combine the use of multiple disciplines and the effectiveness of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team approaches to treatment. A research study design is offered to determine the effectiveness of such program, including the method of data collection, participants to be included in the study, and the planned use of statistical analysis for the data collected. Participants will be recruited from a free-standing psychiatric inpatient hospital in Huntington, WV, though these individuals will reside throughout the state after discharge. This will allow data to be collected from a variety of ACT Teams in the state, as the rural nature of Appalachia often results in a wide variance in the services that can be offered to clients. A primary goal of the study would be to assess differences in effectiveness of ACT Team services based on differences in the number and frequency of services offered