Duration of Hospital Stay in Alcohol/Substance Addictions and Psychiatric Disorders: A ۱۲-Year Retrospective Analysis

Background: Mental disorders are generally a significant reason for increased morbidity. They constitute a serious disease burden. One of the main reasons for this disease burden is long hospitalization periods. Objective: The current study investigated the length of hospital stay and the variables affecting it in patients treated in the Gazi University Hospital Psychiatry Department between ۲۰۰۵-۲۰۱۶. Methods: Patient diagnoses were analyzed according to the International Classification of Diseases ۱۰th Revision (ICD-۱۰). Data was obtained for ۷۰۲۷ hospitalizations over a ۱۲-year period. Records of repeated hospitalizations, non-psychiatric primary diagnoses, and missing data were not included in the analysis. As a result, data from ۵۱۲۹ hospitalizations were included in the analysis. Results: Mean age of the sample was ۴۵.۲۷±۱۴.۶۹, and ۶۲.۵% (n=۳۲۰۴) of the patients were male. Mean hospitalization period was ۲۸.۶۶±۱۷.۲۵ days. Schizophrenia and depressive disorder significantly prolonged hospital stay, while substance addiction shortened the duration of hospitalization (P < ۰.۰۰۱). It was found that the duration of hospitalization decreased significantly over the years (P < ۰.۰۰۱). Advanced age (P < ۰.۰۰۱), recurrent admission (P < ۰.۰۰۱), and female gender (P = ۰.۰۲۹) were other variables affecting this period. Conclusion: Schizophrenia and depression are the most common psychiatric disorders in the inpatient service, and these disorders prolong hospitalization periods. The duration of hospital stay is considerably less in substance addiction than in other psychiatric disorders. Non-clinical variables, such as year of hospitalization, may affect the length of hospital stay.