Sylvia Plath once wrote, “Is there no way out of the mind?” For many, this question captures exactly what living with a mental health condition feels like – being trapped in this vicious cycle inside your head. It can be incredibly isolating, making you feel like you are the only one who feels this way. But this is far from the truth. Mental health challenges are far more common than most people realize. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that around 970 million people worldwide are currently living with some kind of mental health disorder.
However, the real trouble often begins when we suffer in silence. Not speaking about it or delaying care can make things harder. The good news? The care you need and deserve is available – and it comes in many options. One such option is a partial hospitalization program, which we shall take a closer look at below.
What Is a Partial Hospitalization Program?
A partial hospitalization program or PHP is an outpatient rehabilitation option for treating mental health conditions and substance use disorders (addiction). PHP is a holistic program that offers intensive care and structure involving individual therapy, group therapy, medical monitoring, social support, aftercare, and case management services.
PHPs run for up to 8 hours a day and 5 days a week. After receiving treatment during these scheduled hours, you can go back to your home so you do not lose touch or your footing in the outside world, unlike residential rehab options. PHPs are more flexible than residential rehab, and because they do not require overnight hospital stays, they are more cost-effective.
What Happens in a PHP?
PHP, also known as daycare, typically runs anywhere between 6-8 hours per day. Your day will involve a few or all of these:
- Morning check-in
- Group therapy
- Individual therapy/counseling
- Family therapy
- Holistic therapy
- Skills development
- Adventure-based activities
- Medication management (if needed)
- Evening check-in and goal setting for the next day.
On your first visit, you will undergo a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation (psych eval) that will ascertain your diagnosis and current mental health state. As different factors will be taken into account, you can be referred to a partial hospitalization program and will receive a personalized care program that is tailored to your diagnosis as well as your unique needs and goals.
In a day, you will participate in both individual and group sessions and other activities as part of your program. Please keep in mind that you may or may not receive all of the aforementioned therapies and services – as mentioned, you are unique, so your PHP is also going to be unique and fit seamlessly with your healing journey.
How PHP Supports Mental Health Recovery?
PHPs can be ideal for you if your diagnosis requires intensive therapy and medical care without the need for being hospitalized. You spend your day focusing on your recovery, and you return to the comfort of your home at night.
During your early recovery, every day will follow a structured schedule that establishes your stability. Daily therapy, skills development, and medical care, among others, will establish the consistency you need for your mind, body, and spirit to heal.
PHP does not follow a one-size-fits-all approach; it is tailored to your condition, needs, and goals, so your care plan will involve a wide range of therapies like motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, among others for a broad spectrum of conditions.
You will also receive medication management if your diagnosis requires it – this involves prescribing, monitoring, and adjusting to your symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle factors. Medicines can alleviate your symptoms and uplift the quality of your life.
PHP believes in making you your own therapist – in that it even focuses on your life beyond this program. Therefore, it equips your tools and skills like coping skills, social skills, stress management skills, anger management skills, and self-care skills so that you can thrive in the life you want to build for yourself beyond recovery.
PHP follows a step-down approach, where it works alongside an intensive outpatient program (IOP). An IOP is a less intensive care option, and as your condition begins to stabilize, you will be transferred to an IOP so that you receive the care you need during every phase of your recovery. This will also allow you to smoothly transition back to independent living.
Benefits of PHP for Mental Health
PHP offers several benefits for those seeking mental health treatment. Here is just a glimpse of the wide range of benefits you can stand to receive should you opt for PHP:
- PHPs take a whole person approach to care, wherein licensed mental health practitioners will seek to heal and strengthen your mind, body, and spirit.
- PHPs are flexible and adaptable in that they can be tailored to your diagnosis, needs, and goals.
- PHP seeks to make you an active participant in your recovery – you will collaborate with your team and direct your care the way you want it to go. PHP also seeks to involve your family and loved ones so that they can develop the tools and skills to support you in your healing journey as well.
- PHP provides you with a safe, non-judgmental environment where you can feel relaxed and focus on your recovery.
- PHP teaches you to be your own therapist or counselor, where you engage in skill-building sessions that will strengthen your healing journey.
- PHP adopts a step-down approach, where it will work in tandem with an IOP, allowing you to transition to independent living and preventing relapse.
- PHP is provided in an outpatient setting, so you do not lose touch with your family, loved ones, and the outside world. This also allows you to practice the skills you learned in real life as well.
- As PHP does not require overnight hospital stays, it is a cost-effective option, and your insurance will also be able to cover a greater number of sessions.
PHP vs Other Levels of Care
PHP is an intensive outpatient rehab option meant for those who require more support than traditional outpatient therapy sessions and, at the same time, do not require hospital stays either. It can be a stand-alone option and also a step-down option for those who are transitioning from residential rehab to daily life. PHP runs for 6-8 hours per day for 5 days per week. It provides intensive care and structure while also allowing you to return to your home or a supportive environment afterward.
Here is how it compares with other treatment options on the continuum of mental health care:
Outpatient Therapy – You attend weekly therapy sessions at a therapist’s office, often once or twice a week, for one to two hours.
Intensive Outpatient Program – An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is an outpatient program like PHP, albeit not as intensive. It runs for 3-5 hours per day and 3 days per week. Like PHP, IOP consists of services like therapy, medication management, social support, aftercare, and case management services.
Inpatient Acute Care – This hospital-based care is provided for those who are facing an emergency or a crisis. The person may be admitted to a psych ward or a psychiatric hospital.
Residential Care – For severe mental and behavioral health concerns, a person receives residential care in a treatment facility. They will be provided with round-the-clock psychiatric and medical supervision as well as therapy for at least a month or more.
How to Choose a Quality PHP?
To choose a quality PHP, you will have to keep an eye out for the following:
Location: As PHP is an outpatient program, you will be required to travel to and from the treatment center. So, opt for a PHP that is close to where you are located. You can ask your primary healthcare providers and even family/friends for referrals.
Quality Services: Check for the quality of services the treatment center provides – how the facility is maintained, whether they use modern equipment, the therapist-to-client ratio, the qualifications and experience of the staff, and the modes of treatment, among others.
Modes of Treatment: As a PHP must avoid a cookie-cutter approach to your care, you need to enquire about the treatment modalities they offer – whether they provide both traditional and alternative therapies, medication management, skill development sessions, and other activities.
Final Reflections
Seeking mental health treatment must be seamless. Yes, there was a time when mental health conditions were treated under rigorous conditions, like in asylums. But those days are in the past. Now, we have cutting-edge, flexible care options that make the entire process seamless. You do not have to put your life on hold with options like partial hospitalization programs, which can be tailored to fit right in with your life, needs, and goals.
A diagnosis of a mental health condition can feel challenging and overwhelming. But you are not alone. The care you need is always within your reach – you just need to be aware and reach out.
Author bio:
Dr. Ryan Peterson is a board-certified physician specializing in pain management and addiction medicine. With personal experience in recovery, he is dedicated to helping patients overcome substance use and manage pain with compassionate, personalized care.