Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38684516›Full record

Observational studySocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2024

Length of hospital stay in involuntary admissions in Greece: a 10-year retrospective observational study.

Maria Bakola, Vaios Peritogiannis, Konstantina Soultana Kitsou, Philippos Gourzis, Thomas Hyphantis, Eleni Jelastopulu

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Maria BakolaDepartment of Public Health, Medical School, University of Patras, Rio, 26500, Patras, Greece.
Vaios PeritogiannisMobile Mental Health Unit of the Prefectures of Ioannina and Thesprotia, Society for the Promotion of Mental Health in Epirus, Ioannina, Greece.
Konstantina Soultana KitsouDepartment of Public Health, Medical School, University of Patras, Rio, 26500, Patras, Greece.
Philippos GourzisDepartment of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
Thomas HyphantisDepartment of Psychiatry, Division of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Eleni JelastopuluDepartment of Public Health, Medical School, University of Patras, Rio, 26500, Patras, Greece. jelasto@upatras.gr.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe treatment of mental disorders has shifted from inpatient wards to community-based settings in recent years, but some patients may still have to be admitted to inpatient wards, sometimes involuntarily. It is important to maintain the length of hospital stay (LoS) as short as possible while still providing adequate care. The present study aimed to explore the factors associated with the LoS in involuntarily admitted psychiatric patients.

methodsA ten-year retrospective chart review of 332 patients admitted involuntarily to the inpatient psychiatric ward of the General University Hospital of Ioannina, Northwestern Greece, between 2008 and 2017 was conducted.

resultsThe mean LoS was 23.8 (SD = 33.7) days and was relatively stable over the years. Longer-stay hospitalization was associated with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder diagnosis, previous hospitalizations and the use of mechanical restraint, whereas patients in residential care experienced significantly longer LoS (52.6 days) than those living with a caregiver (23.5 days) or alone (19.4 days). Older age at disease onset was associated with shorter LoS, whereas no statistically significant differences were observed with regard to gender.

conclusionWhile some of our findings were in line with recent findings from other countries, others could not be replicated. It seems that multiple factors influence LoS and the identification of these factors could help clinicians and policy makers to design more targeted and cost-effective interventions. The optimization of LoS in involuntary admissions could improve patients' outcomes and lead to more efficient use of resources.

Indexed as

Length of StayAdultAgedCommitment of Persons with Psychiatric DisordersFemaleGreeceHospitalizationHumansInpatientsMaleMental DisordersMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSchizophreniaCompulsory admissionsInvoluntary admissionsMental disordersPsychiatric patientsSchizophrenia-spectrum disorders

Identifiers

PMID38684516
PMCPMC11464606

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.