THE PREDICTION OF SHORT-STAY PSYCHIATRIC-INPATIENTS

In a study of 252 consecutive, non-repeating psychiatric admissions at a community hospital, patients who were hospitalized for six days or less were identified. Using the Severity of Psychiatric Illness, these cases were predicted with both a sensitivity and specificity of about 75%. Short-stay patients were more acutely suicidal, had greater substance abuse complications, tended to be resistant to the treatment program, and had lower levels of family involvement. Programming and policy implications of these findings are discussed.