Testing the Effectiveness of Two Hospitalization Alternatives Compared to Psychiatric Hospitalization (HOSP-ALT)

studies show that many of the people who were hospitalized in psychiatric wards had negative experiences of their stay there. These reports regarding patients' experiences have led in recent years to the development of several hospitalization alternatives that were meant to improve patients' experiences in an acute time in their lives, out of hope that the staying in a familiar and safe place and in one's natural environment will allow better recovery. The current study, is an open comparative study. Testing the effectiveness of two hospitalization alternatives compared to psychiatric hospitalization. First alternative is called Soteria. a house in the community for people who are coping with extreme emotional states. The goal of the house is to allow the coping person to get through the crisis in an open, respectful atmosphere. Second alternative is online home hospitalization. The model uses technological solutions to allow management of effective, integrative treatment for people who are coping with extreme emotional states while they remain in their homes. this model is innovative and has not yet been attempted elsewhere in the world. The goal of the current study is to explore whether there are any differences between hospitalization in psychiatric units, online home hospitalization, and staying in Soteria homes in a series of qualitative, outcome and process measures.