New Jersey Inpatient & Outpatient Mental Health Treatment

Common mental health conditions in New Jersey include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Treatment options for these conditions may include medication, psychotherapy, support groups, and lifestyle changes such as exercise and stress management.

Inpatient treatment for mental health in New Jersey can be effective for individuals with severe or acute mental health conditions who require intensive care and supervision. There is some data available on the effectiveness of inpatient treatment for mental health in New Jersey.

According to the New Jersey Department of Health’s Behavioral Health Status Report for 2020, in 2018, there were 50,892 hospitalizations for mental health in New Jersey, including both voluntary and involuntary admissions. The report also notes that the average length of stay in a psychiatric hospital was 9.5 days.

Additionally, a study published in the Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research in 2018 evaluated the effectiveness of inpatient psychiatric treatment in New Jersey. The study found that patients who received inpatient treatment had significant improvements in their mental health symptoms, including decreased depression, anxiety, and stress. The study also found that patients who received longer inpatient treatment had greater improvements in their mental health outcomes.

Partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment programs are two types of mental health treatment options that can be effective for individuals who require more intensive care than traditional outpatient therapy but do not need 24-hour inpatient care. In New Jersey, there are a variety of partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment programs available for individuals with mental health conditions.

According to the New Jersey Department of Human Services, partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) provide intensive, structured treatment for individuals with serious mental illness. These programs are typically five days a week, and patients receive therapy and medication management services during the day and return home at night. Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) are less structured than PHPs and typically involve fewer hours of treatment per week, but still offer more support than traditional outpatient therapy.

Studies have shown that partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs can be effective in improving mental health outcomes for individuals with a range of mental health conditions.

For example:

• A study published in the journal Psychiatric Services found that individuals with depression who participated in a partial hospitalization program experienced significant improvement in their symptoms over the course of the program [1].
• A study published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment found that intensive outpatient treatment was effective in reducing substance use and improving mental health outcomes for individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders [2].

In New Jersey specifically, there are several partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment programs available.

For example:

• Summit Oaks Hospital in Summit, NJ offers a partial hospitalization program for adults with mental health and/or substance abuse disorders [3].
• Saint Clare’s Health System in Boonton Township, NJ offers an intensive outpatient program for individuals with mental health and/or substance abuse disorders [4].
• Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, NJ offers a partial hospitalization program for adults with mental health disorders [5].