title: Predicting hospital length of stay for geriatric patients with mood disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine predictors of hospital length of stay (LOS) for adult and geriatric patients with mood disorders admitted to inpatient psychiatric beds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Admission and discharge data from a large urban mental health centre, from 2005 to 2010 inclusive, were retrospectively analyzed. Using the Resident Assessment Instrument-Mental Health, an assessment that is used to collect demographic and clinical information within 72 hours of hospital admission, 199 geriatric mood disorder admissions were compared with 570 adult mood disorder admissions. Predictors of hospital LOS were determined using a series of general linear models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Living alone, number of recent psychiatric admissions, involuntary admission, and close or constant observation level predict longer hospital LOS in geriatric, but not in adult mood disorder, patients. Conversely, pain on admission predicts shorter hospital LOS in geriatric, but not among adult, mood disorder patients. Predictors of longer hospital LOS, irrespective of admission group (adult, compared with geriatric), include incapacity, negative symptoms, and increased dependence for instrumental activities of daily living.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Addressing these predictive factors early on during admission and in the community may result in shorter hospital LOS and more optimal use of resources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. zahinoor@gmail.com
authors.forename: Zahinoor
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arenovich
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grieve
authors.forename: Peggie
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Willett
authors.forename: Gautam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sajeev
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mamo
authors.forename: Glenda M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Macqueen
authors.forename: Benoit H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Mulsant
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D009864:Ontario; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies