A 10-YEAR STUDY OF LENGTH OF STAY OF PSYCHIATRIC ADMISSIONS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN RAWALPINDI

  • Sadia Yasir
  • Mahmood Jafri
  • Bahjat Najeeb Institute of Psychiatry, Rawalpindi Medical University
  • Asad Tamizuddin Nizami
  • Muhammad Faisal Amir Malik
  • Sara Afzal
DOI: https://doi.org/10.63050/jpps.21.04.308
Keywords: Pakistan, psychiatric inpatients, length of stay, hospitalization trends, psychiatric diagnoses, underdeveloped regions

Abstract

Objective

 

To study the frequency of demographic variables along with the Length of Stay (LOS) in inpatient psychiatric facility related to category of psychiatric diagnosis. 

 

Design

 

Retrospective chart review

 

Place and Duration of Study

 

The medical records of all admissions in Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi spanning the period from January 2007 to December 2016 were reviewed.

 

Patients and Methods

 

Length of Stay (LOS) of patients admitted at the Institute of Psychiatry, Benazir Bhutto Hospital were noted. LOS greater than 10 days was considered as a cut-off point for lengthier stay.

 

Results


In this study involving 3,975 psychiatric inpatients, nearly 70% of the admissions were female, with depressive disorder being the most prevalent diagnosis. Over the decade, there was a notable reduction in the average length of hospital stay, decreasing from 13 to 9 days. A significant proportion (18.2%) of patients left against medical advice, with a higher percentage among females (19.3%) compared to males (15.5%). Patients were categorized into five age groups, and the highest admissions occurred among those aged 16 to 30 years (52.3%). The data also revealed fluctuations in the mean length of hospital stay over the years, ultimately averaging less than two weeks. Psychiatric diagnoses included a range of disorders, with depressive illness, schizophrenia, and bipolar affective disorder being the most common, while certain disorders like anorexia nervosa were less frequently encountered.

 

Conclusion

 

This study reveals that over the decade there is significant decrease in average hospital stays. This study underscores the need for further research to enhance psychiatric care in resource-limited regions.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Published
2024-12-27
How to Cite
1.
Yasir S, Jafri M, Najeeb B, Tamizuddin Nizami A, Amir Malik MF, Afzal S. A 10-YEAR STUDY OF LENGTH OF STAY OF PSYCHIATRIC ADMISSIONS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN RAWALPINDI . J Pak Psychiatr Soc [Internet]. 2024Dec.27 [cited 2025Jan.9];21(04). Available from: https://jpps.pk/index.php/journal/article/view/308
Issue
Vol 21 No 04 (2024): Journal of Pakistan Psychiatric Society
Section
Original Article

Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Pakistan Psychiatric Society

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Copyright © JPPS. Published by Pakistan Psychiatric Society

Licensing: This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Readers may “Share-copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format” and “Adapt-remix, transform, and build upon the material”. The readers must give appropriate credit to the source of the material and indicate if changes were made to the material. Readers may not use the material for commercial purposes. The readers may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.