When someone is struggling with their mental health, it can feel impossible to know where to turn or who to ask for help. After all, there are many different types of mental health treatment out there.
Inpatient therapy is one option. Inpatient therapy offers a safe, structured, and supportive environment for people who need intensive, round-the-clock care—especially during times of crisis. Inpatient mental health treatment programs are designed to stabilize symptoms, prevent harm, and provide immediate access to a team of professionals during times of need.
Inpatient mental health treatment is often confused with residential treatment, but the two serve different purposes. Residential therapy offers a longer-term, home-like environment for individuals struggling with ongoing mental health issues, who want to manage symptoms, develop essential skills, and set the stage for a meaningful life after treatment.
In this guide, we’ll break down what inpatient therapy involves, what happens during treatment, who it’s right for, and how all that differs from residential treatment and care. Let’s dive in.
What is inpatient therapy?
Inpatient therapy is a form of mental health care that requires people to live at the facility in which they are receiving treatment. For the duration of their stay, individuals are provided with 24/7 support and supervision, structured routines, and an intensive care plan tailored to meet their needs. Inpatient mental health treatment is beneficial for people with severe mental health issues, who are struggling to keep up with their day-to-day responsibilities, and/or who are in immediate crisis.
While inpatient therapy is often used interchangeably with residential treatment, they are not the same thing. As suggested above, inpatient therapy tends to be more intensive—offered in hospital-like settings where the environment is controlled and designed with patients’ safety in mind. Inpatient programs also tend to be short-term, lasting a few days to a few weeks.
Residential therapy, on the other hand, is a longer-term, less restrictive form of inpatient mental health care, typically delivered in a home-like environment that promotes peace, healing, and community. While individuals still get access to round-the-clock monitoring and clinical support, residential treatment environments tend to require less medical intervention—instead focusing on the whole person and their individual needs (physically, emotionally, socially, functionally). As such, residential programs last for several months, giving people the skills needed to manage their condition and live a fulfilling life independently.
What happens during inpatient mental health treatment?
Over the course of an inpatient mental health treatment stay, patients work with a multidisciplinary care team to help them through crisis. Upon arriving, individuals receive:
- A diagnostic evaluation, to understand their individual needs and develop a treatment plan
- Medication management, which involves evidence-based medications to help mitigate mental health symptoms (when necessary)
- Intensive therapy, focused on crisis intervention and skills-building
- Safe, structured environment, designed to provide a stable and predictable place for individuals, away from the pressures and triggers of everyday life
- Discharge planning, when clinicians feel a patient is ready to return to their home or community (this typically involves an outpatient care plan)
Residential mental health treatment offers many of these elements, in a less rigid or clinical setting. In fact, residential treatment facilities like Turnbridge offer beautiful residences where clients can feel at peace (and a sense of normalcy) while receiving care.
During residential therapy programs, clients can expect:
- A comprehensive evaluation upon entry, and a personalized treatment plan
- A combination of therapeutic and clinical care, including behavioral therapy, one-on-one counseling, group therapy sessions, art and music therapy, and medication-assisted treatment if and when necessary
- Life skills training, to prepare individuals for a healthy lifestyle after treatment; this involves the skills needed for daily living, like preparing nutritious meals, managing time, planning finances, building friendships, and coping with ongoing symptoms
- 24/7 access to counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, doctors, and mentors
- A community of people walking in similar shoes, supporting each other through the treatment process (offering a secondary benefit of building trusted, supportive friendships in treatment)
Who should consider inpatient therapy for mental health?
Inpatient therapy is designed for individuals who are in immediate crisis and have severe symptoms related to their mental health. Inpatient environments offer the opportunity to stabilize difficult symptoms and get individuals through mental health crises, without harming others or themselves.
Consider inpatient mental health treatment if a loved one is showing signs of:
- Suicidal thoughts or self-harming behaviors
- Severe depression or manic episodes
- Psychosis (delusions and hallucinations)
- Severe substance use, with high risk for overdose
- Failure to thrive or inability to function in everyday life
- Other conditions where an individual is a danger to themselves or others
On the other hand, residential treatment is best for individuals who need more time and support—a longer-term recovery option. Residential therapy is great for those who have moved past the initial crisis, such as completing an inpatient therapy stay, and who now seek to continue building on the skills they learned (without such high intensity).
Residential mental health programs are a good option for individuals with:
- Chronic mental health disorders or ongoing symptoms that get in the way of everyday life
- A need for ongoing support or aftercare, following the completion of inpatient therapy
- Lack of a stable, supportive environment to recover, who need a comfortable and safe place to work on their healing
- A desire or need to build life skills and coping skills through in-depth, long-term therapy
How to know if inpatient therapy is right for you
Not everyone needs inpatient therapy or residential mental health treatment. However, if you are here now, it’s likely that someone you know or love is in need of this level of care. So how can you choose the right form of live-in treatment?
In general, inpatient therapy is meant to provide immediate safety and stabilization, while residential mental health treatment focuses on long-term healing and future-planning.
It’s important to speak with a treatment professional about your loved one’s symptoms and options. A mental health professional can assess the severity of their condition, their individual needs, and help determine the best possible next steps.
Turnbridge is a recognized mental health treatment provider with residential programs designed for teens and young adults. If you’d like to learn about our long-term, residential treatment programs – offering evidence-based and holistic therapies – visit us online! If you’d like to speak with a professional about your symptoms and needs, do not hesitate to call us at 877-581-1793.