Compulsory and voluntary admissions in comparison: A 9-year long observational study.

BACKGROUND

Few studies, so far, have been specifically designed to highlight the features related to Compulsory Admissions (CA) and Voluntary Admissions (VA) in Italian psychiatric emergency wards.

AIMS: The main purpose of this observational study was to compare the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of VA and CA and to explore possible predictors of re-admissions.

METHODS

During a 6-month Index Period (February, the 1st-July, the 31st 2008) all psychiatric admissions were documented and then followed-up through all available informatic systems for the next 9 years.

RESULTS

Out of 390 hospitalizations, 101 (25.9%) were compulsory (CA rate was 2.79 per 10,000 inhabitants per year, mean duration of hospitalizations of 7.33 ± 7.84 days). Diagnoses were recorded for the 325 patients who had been hospitalized during index period: schizophrenic psychoses ([p = .042], in particular schizophrenia [p = .027]), manic episode (p = .044), and delusional disorders (p = .009) were associated with CA; conversely, the diagnosis of unipolar major depression (p = .005) and personality disorders (p = .048) were significantly more frequent in VA. The 325 admitted patients were followed up for 1,801 person-years. No significant differences were found in terms of drop-outs, transferring, and discharge rates, and mortality rates due to both natural causes and suicides. Factors associated with at least one compulsory readmission were younger age and having had a previous CA (p = .011); conversely having been engaged with psychiatric services for over 1 year prior to index hospitalization was protective for a subsequent CA (p = .013).

CONCLUSIONS

After a 40-year old political reform, the current study shows that, in a context of integrated outpatient and inpatient services, engagement with outpatient care may be protective for compulsory rehospitalization.