title: Is severity of family burden a correlate of length of stay?
abstract: It has been difficult to identify relevant correlates of inpatient psychiatric length of stay (LOS), but few have examined family burden as a potential factor. The present study investigated the association of several dimensions of family burden with LOS net of other factors. Dimensions of burden experienced by primary caregivers were evaluated in a sample of 602 psychiatric inpatients in a large hospital in Guangzhou, China within 1 week of admission. Factor analysis reduced the burden data to five factors. Bivariate association and multiple linear regression analyzes were used to investigate burden and other factors associated with LOS (average LOS=58.8 days, SD=44.3). Multiple regression analysis showed that in addition to having health insurance coverage, being diagnosed with schizophrenia, being unmarried, and not being employed; being perceived by family members as showing more violent behavior and causing higher levels of caregiver distress were independently associated with longer LOS.
authors: Guangzhou Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Huiai Hospital, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Hongbo
authors: H
authors: He
authors: Guangzhou Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Huiai Hospital, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Yuping
authors: Y
authors: Ning
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School Of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Rosenheck
authors: Guangzhou Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Huiai Hospital, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Sun
authors: Guangzhou Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Huiai Hospital, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Zhang
authors: Guangzhou Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Huiai Hospital, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: zhouylivy@aliyun.com.
authors: Yanling
authors: Y
authors: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000639:trends*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acute psychiatric hospital; Family burden; Length of stay; Mental disorder