Psychiatric AftercareEach year about 325,000 persons are admitted as patients to public mental hospitals in the United States. Less than half are first admissions; 175,000 are readmissions. And each year about 310,000 patients leave the public mental hospitals. They undertake the hazards of living again, as ex patients, in the community. More than half will return, at some time, to hospital. The highest proportion will return within the first year after release. Mental