title: Single and repeated admissions to a mental health center: demographic, clinical and use of service characteristics.
abstract: Eight hundred and forty one patients with 1,135 consecutive admissions to a university-affiliated mental health center were studied to examine patterns of treatment program use. Twenty two percent of patients had repeat admissions accounting for 42% of hospital episodes. Single admission and repeater groups are compared, and differences among repeater subgroups with progressively greater numbers of admissions per patient are described. Only 10 patients with the highest number of admissions during the study period also were very high utilizers of all services (inpatient, crisis, day hospital, regional chronic state hospital). These patients' characteristics are discussed with implications for future study.
authors.affiliation: UMDNJ/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick 08903-0019.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Swigar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Astrachan
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mayfield
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Radovich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors