A day treatment programme, known internationally as a "day hospital", is a form of psychiatric care that sits between inpatient treatment and outpatient clinic visits. Patients receive intensive psychiatric treatment and monitoring during the day and go home each evening, so they get more support than outpatient care provides without their daily lives being disrupted. NPİSTANBUL Hospital runs a day treatment programme, and eligibility is decided through a psychiatrist's clinical evaluation.
Who it is for
The programme is designed for two groups in particular:
- People recently discharged from inpatient care who are now in post-discharge follow-up
- People who do not need to be hospitalised but do need close, daily psychiatric monitoring
It works as a transitional service, offering support on the way to outpatient care.
How a day hospital works
In a day hospital, treatment and monitoring are intensive, but the patient does not stay overnight. The model, also called a day treatment programme, is regarded as a bridge between inpatient and outpatient care. Because participants remain part of their social life, they can continue treatment without being cut off from the people and routines around them.
What the programme includes
A multidisciplinary team of a psychiatrist, a clinical psychologist and an occupational therapist runs the programme. Content is planned around each person's needs and usually includes:
- Daily psychiatric assessment and medication monitoring
- Individual psychotherapy
- Group therapy
- Occupational therapy and workshop activities
- Additional treatments when needed (such as TMS and TPS)
Each participant's clinical status is reviewed regularly, and the treatment plan is shaped accordingly.
Day treatment compared with inpatient treatment
The key difference is that day treatment does not involve an overnight stay.
| Inpatient treatment | Day treatment programme |
|---|---|
| Requires staying overnight in hospital | The patient goes home at the end of each day |
| Preferred for more acute and severe clinical conditions | Intensive psychiatric support is provided throughout the day |
| Means a temporary break from daily life | Ties with family and social life are maintained |
Benefits of the programme
The programme is built to meet two core clinical needs:
- Supporting adjustment after discharge: moving from inpatient to outpatient care can be difficult for some people. The programme provides a supported period of adjustment before outpatient care begins.
- Intensive follow-up without hospitalisation: for people who do not need inpatient admission, or who prefer not to be admitted, it offers close daily monitoring and continuous therapeutic support beyond what outpatient care can provide.
Joining the programme at NPİSTANBUL
Whether someone joins the programme is decided after a clinical evaluation by a psychiatrist. The treatment plan and programme content are then tailored to that person's individual needs.
Usually included
- Daily psychiatric review and medication monitoring
- Individual and group therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Additional treatments such as TMS when indicated
Not included
- Flights
- Accommodation: you go home or to your hotel each evening
Who this programme is for
What the programme includes
- Therapy Psychotherapy Evidence-based talking therapies, in person during your stay and online after you return home.
- Technology Transcranial magnetic stimulation A non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific brain regions, mainly for depression that has not responded to medication.