Abstract: Objective To explore the efficacy of comprehensive community-based rehabilitation on chronic schizophrenia and assess in the view of health economy. Methods 80 chronic schizophrenic patients accepted comprehensive community-based rehabilitation for 1 year and were followed up for 1 year. Other 80 chronic schizophrenics were as the controls. They were observed with outcome and the cost. Resultsn The social function, compliance, stability rate, burden on family caregiver, satisfaction of living, psychiatric symptoms, hospitalization were all better in the rehabilitation group than in the control group (P<0.01), and the total cost in the 2 years was less, especially that on hospitalization,maintenance treatment, work loss of caregivers, public prevention (P<0.01). Conclusion Comprehensive community-based rehabilitation can improve the outcome of chronic schizophrenics with less cost.

Key words: schizophrenia, community-based rehabilitation, outcome, health economy