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Objective: This paper describes outcome and feasibility findings for a novel, brief intervention to facilitate discharge from lengthy psychiatric hospitalization. The examination of such transitional interventions is important given the suboptimal outcomes for many individuals with severe mental illness at discharge, particularly in the first month. Method: In this study a mixed methods design was used to examine a 6-week peer support worker-provided transitional intervention called the 'Welcome Basket.' The intervention involves contact on hospital wards immediately prior to discharge and 1-1 community contacts along with the provision of a 'welcome basket' of needed/desired items and environmental supports to facilitate greater independence and illness self-management. The study took place in a large Canadian city. Results: Thirty-one individuals with severe mental illness were referred and 23 completed the intervention. Pre-post analysis indicated no change in psychiatric symptoms but improvement in community functioning, community integration, and quality of life. Compared with mean rehospitalization rates for referring inpatient units, significant differences in rates for the study participants were not observed. Qualitative feasibility and process findings were very positive and suggested domains for improvement. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: These findings suggest that this brief transitional intervention is feasible and promising, although further investigation is warranted. Study findings also support the need for transitional interventions to address the service disconnects at the time of discharge for people with severe mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This phase 2 randomized trial examined the outcomes of a brief, transitional, peer support intervention designed to address the poor outcomes that are common for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum illnesses in the period immediately following hospitalization. In the context of treatment-as-usual, participants were provided with a peer support intervention, 'the Welcome Basket,' in which participants received 1-2 sessions of peer support in the two weeks before discharge and met weekly for a month post-discharge. The study also piloted a brief version of this intervention with only one community session post-discharge with the same pre-discharge process. It was hypothesized that the full intervention would improve community transition outcomes, with community functioning (Multnomah Community Ability Scale) being the primary measure and secondary measures including symptomatology, community integration, personal recovery, quality of life, and social support. The examination of the brief intervention was exploratory. Measures were completed at baseline, 1-month post-discharge, and follow-up at 6 months. A total of 110 participants were randomized to one of three interventions, with outcome data obtained from 82 and follow-up from 74. While feasible, we did not find that the Welcome Basket intervention was superior to treatment as usual for any of our primary or secondary outcome measures. Future work is needed to determine whether a more extended intervention is required and whether specific subgroups of patients may benefit (e.g. those without access to immediate psychiatric care or those better able to engage with a peer). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]