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Variables affecting length of psychiatric inpatient treatment

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Abstract

To discover whether variables such as gender; ethnicity, pay code, and diagnostic category affect length of psychiatric inpatient treatment, patient records for a recent 18-month period (January 1988 to June 1989) in a Midwestern teaching hospital setting were exmained and statistically analyzed. Variables that emerged as related to length of stay are ethnicity, Axis I diagnosis of adjustment disorder, and presence of any Axis II diagnosis. Comparisons with length of stay statistics from an earlier period (1981) lead to conclusions about inpatient psychiatric services since the implementation of diagnosis related groups. Further, implications of this study's findings are discussed in relation to mental health service delivery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Dr., 99508, Anchorage, AK

    Christiane Brems Ph.D. (Associate Professor)

  2. the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Okla

    Phebe Tucker M.D.

Authors
  1. Phebe Tucker M.D.
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  2. Christiane Brems Ph.D.
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Tucker, P., Brems, C. Variables affecting length of psychiatric inpatient treatment. The Journal of Mental Health Administration 20, 58–65 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02521403

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