CHAPTER ONE
Psychiatric illness has fascinated and confounded healers, scientist and philosopher for centuries, it symptoms have been attributed to possession by demons considered to be punishment by the gods for the evil done or accepted as evidence of the inhumanity of its sufferers victims. Thus explanation resulted in enduring stigma for those whose were diagnosed with such disorders. Even today, much of the sigma persist although it has less to do with demonic possession than with society’s unwillingness to shoulder the tremendous cost associated with mental illness.
Relapse is one of the most severe problem of mental health care givers. It is common in about 1.3% of the already treated cases of mental illness or more than two million people (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS] 1999). Its economic cost is envious. Direct cost of relapse treatment expenses of most psychiatric illness were estimated 2.5% of the total treatment of first hand mental illness care budget in 1998 (American Psychiatric Association [APA] 2000).
The last year for which these data were available (USDHHS, 1999). In 1997, this accountant for $23.6 billion of mental health care dollar spent. The indirect cost such as lost of wages, premature death and incarceration were estimated to be $46 billion in the first half of 1998 (APA, 2000).
Further unemployment among permanent disability is 10% (APA 1998). The cost relapse in terms of individuals and family suffering are probably inestimable.
Despite the current trend in modern treatment, there is still an alarming rate of relapse and the reoccurrence of psychiatric illness globally. Individual who ought to be productive and responsible in life are wasting away on daily basis.
Today patients are required to stay for a short period of time in the hospital admission and discharge to home environment to help reduce dependency on the hospital care and reducing relapse. Also this helps to reduce stigmatization and prevent complications (Feyinsayo, A. 2009). This study will attempt an overview of Nurse and also to show how proper utilization of psychiatric Nursing service will go a long way in reducing and eradicating the ever growing cases of relapse among psychiatric patients in Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Barnawa, Kaduna.
1.2    Statement of Problem
The frequency of patients having readmission into the hospital over the last few years has become a problem. This has made the achievement of good control of patients’ symptoms and cure impossible.
Nursing Staff and the Hospital has suffered frustration seeing the readmission of patients, whom were recently discharged home after being stabilized on admission. Some patient relapse as soon as they are discharged home. Other on trials discharge relapse while other still relapse while on admission. Various factors ranging from financial problems, lack of adequate staff have contributed to the relapse of patients.
Some patients have about a day or two days journey distance to the hospital resulting in poor monitoring and accessibility to the mental health services. Other factors also include stigmatization and dependency on care giver. All these have contributed in the frequency of relapse experienced in the care of these groups of patient leading to the social disability.
Hence, resulting in the following:
    Low manpower
    Untold hardship
    Financial constraints
    Societal nuisance
If not properly handled and solutions found, the economy may suffer and the society will be at a loss apart from the untold hardship. This is what motivated the researcher to investigate the cause, give suggestions, remedy the situation and also reduce the high rate of relapse.