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The characteristics of psychiatric patients readmitted within a month of discharge1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Frances M. Marks
Frances M. Marks*
Affiliation:
Maudsley Hospital, London
*
2Address for correspondence: Dr Frances M. Marks, Department of Child Psychiatry, London Hospital, London E1.
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Synopsis

From the Camberwell Register it was found that 9–14% of all admissions in the years 1965–70 were readmissions within a month of discharge. The characteristics of these patients were compared with the total population admitted. No particular diagnostic category was associated with rapid readmissions but the rapidly readmitted group contained a high proportion of young patients and divorced or separated patients.

The case notes of rapidly readmitted patients were examined and compared with the case notes of a control group. The circumstance which predisposed patients to require rapid readmission was the degree of socially disruptive behaviour of the patient.

Patients benefited from readmission and the reasons for this are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , May 1977 , pp. 345 - 352
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

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Footnotes

1

This work was submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of M.Phil.

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