Residential treatment for mental health provides people a safe space where they can receive appropriate care for mental health issues. This kind of treatment includes people that go through severe conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia, PTSD and OCD. The time frame that someone will spend in residential treatment differs a lot depending on few key things, like how severe is their condition, how much faster they can recover and which type of facility they are in. Understanding these key factors can help patients and their families to get ready for getting better.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE SPAN OF RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT
1. Severeness of mental health condition
One of the biggest element that depicts the length of stay in residential treatment is the severeness of one’s mental health condition. People with more complicated conditions like schizophrenia or dual diagnosis (having a co-existing mental illness and substance usedisorder) frequently needs more time to recover and for those with less severe conditions such as average anxiety or depression will need a shorter period of time to recover.
2. Personal progress
How quickly someone can recover in the treatment is another key element. Some people might respond good to treatment and get remarkable results within few weeks, while others struggle more with their issues. Residential treatment is totally based on personal progress, so if a person needs more time to get their symptoms under control, their stay might be extended to make sure their lasting recovery.
3. Treatment approach and facility options
The type of treatment that is being provided can also influence the duration of stay. Different programs might follow different paths and some facilities might offer more pliable or longer term care than others.
STANDARD DURATION OF RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT
The duration of stay in residential treatment can vary but there are some common durations used by many facilities.
1. Brief treatment program (30 days or less)
Brief treatment programs normally lies between few weeks to 30 days. These programs are specifically designed for people who have serious symptoms which needs to be managed immediately. These brief treatment programs helps people to stabilise and go through crisis.
2. Moderate term treatment program (30-90 days)
Moderate term treatment usually lasts between 30 to 90 days and ore mostly used for people who needs more time to manage their mental health issues. These programs are long enough for individuals to develop resilience, toughness and create a path for speedy recovery. This length of treatment basically creates a good balance between critical care and what they have learnt.
3. Extended treatment program (90 days or more)
Extended treatment programs are necessary for people with extreme mental health conditions. These extended programs are specifically designed for individuals to work through their extreme mental conditions and also work on their deeper issues that creates more struggle for them. These treatments are favourable to those who have experienced multiple reversions or have co-existing disorders which needs more time and observation.
Why the duration of treatment is important
The duration of residential treatment can substantially effect the success of recovery. Continuing treatment for longer period of time can lead to better outcomes and less chances of relapse. Mental health recovery requires more time not just to cure the symptoms but also to discover the root causes of symptoms and develop techniques to maintain long term stability which can be achieved by a more longer stay in residential treatment.
Conclusion
The time span of residential mental health treatment varies commonly based on one’s need, conditions severity, method of treatment and their cost components. Stays can vary from only a few weeks to several months and the main goal is to provide them with necessary tools to achieve long term recovery. Regardless of treatment being long or short its crucial that the treatment is complete and supportive, extensive care establishes individuals receive observation they require for lasting good health.
Written by Dr. Mahnoor Kayani