Situations associated with admission to an acute care inpatient psychiatric unit

Abstract

This study examined whether stressful events occurred during the week preceding admission to an inpatient psychiatric unit in a sample of 97 adults with serious mental illness. The study also examined whether patients who had been readmitted within 30 days reported different stressful events than patients who had lived in the community for at least 6 months prior to admission. A structured interview was developed to obtain information about depressive and psychotic symptoms, stressful events, substance use, and aggressive and disruptive behaviors. Suicide risk was the most common reason for hospitalization (65%). Between 25% and 38% of patients reported interpersonal problems with family members or people outside their family, and about 50% reported financial problems immediately before hospitalization. Comparison of patients who had been readmitted within 30 days with patients who had been living in the community for at least 6 months since their last hospitalization found few differences between these groups. Results indicate that most patients were admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit because of suicide risk, and interpersonal events seemed to precipitate hospital admission for these patients. © 2010 American Psychological Association.