Stationäre Behandlung depressiver Erkrankungen wohnortnah oder wohnortfern: Gibt es Unterschiede im Therapieergebnis?

Background: Advantages and disadvantages of inpatient treatment for mental disorders in facilities located either close to or distant from the patients' homes have been controversially discussed since the Psychiatry Enquiry. However, the question whether the distance between residence and clinic influences the treatment outcome has so far only been examined in substance-dependent patients in residential medical rehabilitation. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to investigate potential effects of the distance between residence and clinic on the treatment outcome in depressive patients. Patients and Methods: For this purpose, routine data of 1,959 clinically depressed inpatients were analyzed. Using the Patient Health Questionnaire, depression, anxiety, and somatization were assessed at admission, discharge, and the 6-month follow-up to analyze the treatment outcome. Results: The findings demonstrate that the distance between the residence and the treatment facility does not moderate depressive, anxious, and somatoform symptom changes during and after treatment. Moreover, the distance between clinic and residence and the symptom improvement from admission until follow-up do not correlate significantly. Conclusions: Hence, there is no empirical evidence showing that the distance between the residence and the treatment facility influences the treatment outcome. Therefore, future research should focus on the impact of specific treatment qualities close to or far away from home, like the facility's degree of specialization and the implementation of individualized aftercare.