title: Admissions to the state hospital: a one-year study.
abstract: Admission to one of the state hospitals in West Virginia is gained through a legal proceeding which is initiated on a county level. It was hypothesized that involuntary psychiatric admission patterns from the Sharpe Hospital catchment area do not have a direct correlation with county population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sharpe Hospital admissions data for a one year period were collected and demographic data from counties within the hospital catchment area was obtained for comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Involuntary psychiatric admissions from the Sharpe Hospital catchment area do not correlate directly with county population, supporting the hypothesis that factors besides county population explain differences in admission patterns. Socioeconomic status, diversion of admissions to other hospitals and proximity to the state hospital do not fully explain the differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rates of admission were found to vary widely from counties in the Sharpe Hospital catchment area. Local evaluation and treatment variables and patient-specific factors such as diagnosis, comorbid substance dependence, and psychiatric history warrant further study to guide planning
authors: WVU Department of Behavioral Medicine, William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital, USA.
authors: Cheryl A
authors: CA
authors: France
authors: Neil L
authors: NL
authors: Mogge
mesh_terms: D002391:Catchment Area, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006783:Hospitals, State; D006801:Humans; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011203:Poverty; D014903:West Virginia