The chronically mentally-ill served by the public fiduciary of Pima County, Arizona

Abstract

This study was a survey of the chronically mentally ill cases served by the Public Fiduciary of Pima County, Arizona made to determine differences between and among these cases in numbers, finances, living arrangements, and the nature of their involvement with the Public Fiduciary according to age, sex, ethnic group, and mental disorder. Information was collected on 89 chronically mentally ill cases. Summaries and statistical analyses were made of the collected information. Schizophrenia in its various forms was found to be the dominant illness. Over half of the cases lived in unsupervised settings. Almost half of the cases received supplemental security income. Three-fourths of the cases received a total income of less than 350 dollars per month. The percentage of Hispanic people in the sample was higher than in the percentage of this group in the general population of Pima county. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)