The Gerontologist, Vol 39, Issue 5 591-598, Copyright © 1999 by The Gerontological Society of America

ARTICLES

Rehospitalization of older psychiatric inpatients: an investigation of predictors

GT Mercer, V Molinari, ME Kunik, CA Orengo, L Snow and P Rezabek
Saint Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute, MO, USA.

The purpose of this study was to identify a combination of variables that could predict rehospitalization among a sample of 150 geropsychiatric inpatients. Logistic regression analyses testing a modified model identified risk factors for geropsychiatric rehospitalization and correctly classified approximately 80% of inpatients who were rehospitalized for subsequent treatment. Patients' psychiatric diagnosis (mood or schizophrenic disorder), poor general psychiatric functioning, depressive and agitated behavior at discharge, little or no supervision in living arrangements following discharge, limited social support, change in the social support system preceding hospitalization, and maladaptive family functioning could significantly predict geropsychiatric rehospitalization. The strongest independent predictor was maladaptive family functioning.

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