title: Characteristics of readmitted psychiatric inpatients.
abstract: This study examined sociodemographic, diagnostic, psychological, and episode-based variables in a sample of 130 psychiatric patients admitted to treatment at least twice in a 6-yr. period. Short length of initial hospitalization (r = -.30, p < .01) and younger age on initial admission (r = -.20, p < .05) were significantly correlated with frequent hospital admissions. Scores on four of the subscales of the WAIS-R were significantly correlated with readmission, confirming that patients who have fewer cognitive resources are at risk of frequent admissions. A multiple regression analysis combining variables to predict readmission accounted for only 12% of the common variance (r128 = .34, p < .01), however, indicating that a prediction equation with these variables has limited clinical utility.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Houston Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: Kaye
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: J Ray
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hays
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008950:MMPI; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010359:Patient Readmission; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index