Identifying factors associated with the discharge of male State patients from Weskoppies Hospital
Background: Designated psychiatric facilities are responsible for the care, treatment and reintegration of State patients. The necessary long-term care places a considerable strain on health-care resources. Resource use should be optimised while managing the risks that patients pose to themselves an...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2017-12-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| Online Access: | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1083 |
| _version_ | 1811336928531841024 |
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| author | Riaan G. Prinsloo Andre Swanepoel Gian Lippi |
| author_facet | Riaan G. Prinsloo Andre Swanepoel Gian Lippi |
| author_sort | Riaan G. Prinsloo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Designated psychiatric facilities are responsible for the care, treatment and reintegration of State patients. The necessary long-term care places a considerable strain on health-care resources. Resource use should be optimised while managing the risks that patients pose to themselves and the community. Identifying unique factors associated with earlier discharge may decrease the length of stay. Factors associated with protracted inpatient care without discharge could identify patients who require early and urgent intervention.
Aim: We identify socio-economic, demographic, psychiatric and charge-related factors associated with the discharge of male State patients.
Methods: We reviewed the files of discharged and admitted forensic State patients at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital. Data were captured in an electronic recording sheet. The association between factors and the outcome measure (discharged vs. admitted) was determined using chi-squared tests and Fischer’s exact tests.
Results: Discharged State patients were associated with being a primary caregiver (p = 0.031) having good insight into illness (p = 0.025) or offence (p = 0.005) and having had multiple successful leaves of absences. A lack of substance abuse during admission (p = 0.027), an absence of a diagnosis of substance use disorder (p = 0.013) and the absence of verbal and physical aggression (p = 0.002 and p = 0.016) were associated with being discharged. Prolonged total length of stay (9–12 years, p = 0.031) and prolonged length of stay in open wards (6–9 years, p = 0.000) were associated with being discharged. A history of previous offences (p = 0.022), a diagnosis of substance use disorder (p = 0.023), recent substance abuse (p = 0.018) and a history of physical aggression since admission (p = 0.017) were associated with continued admission.
Conclusion: Discharge of State patients is associated with an absence of substance abuse, lack of aggression, multiple successful leave of absences and length of stay in hospital. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T17:46:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1dda8564e77f459993eb84512f652031 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1608-9685 2078-6786 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T17:46:43Z |
| publishDate | 2017-12-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-1dda8564e77f459993eb84512f6520312022-12-22T02:36:55ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Psychiatry1608-96852078-67862017-12-0123010.4102/sajpsychiatry.v23i0.1083386Identifying factors associated with the discharge of male State patients from Weskoppies HospitalRiaan G. Prinsloo0Andre Swanepoel1Gian Lippi2Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of PretoriaDepartment of Statistics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, University of PretoriaDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of PretoriaBackground: Designated psychiatric facilities are responsible for the care, treatment and reintegration of State patients. The necessary long-term care places a considerable strain on health-care resources. Resource use should be optimised while managing the risks that patients pose to themselves and the community. Identifying unique factors associated with earlier discharge may decrease the length of stay. Factors associated with protracted inpatient care without discharge could identify patients who require early and urgent intervention. Aim: We identify socio-economic, demographic, psychiatric and charge-related factors associated with the discharge of male State patients. Methods: We reviewed the files of discharged and admitted forensic State patients at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital. Data were captured in an electronic recording sheet. The association between factors and the outcome measure (discharged vs. admitted) was determined using chi-squared tests and Fischer’s exact tests. Results: Discharged State patients were associated with being a primary caregiver (p = 0.031) having good insight into illness (p = 0.025) or offence (p = 0.005) and having had multiple successful leaves of absences. A lack of substance abuse during admission (p = 0.027), an absence of a diagnosis of substance use disorder (p = 0.013) and the absence of verbal and physical aggression (p = 0.002 and p = 0.016) were associated with being discharged. Prolonged total length of stay (9–12 years, p = 0.031) and prolonged length of stay in open wards (6–9 years, p = 0.000) were associated with being discharged. A history of previous offences (p = 0.022), a diagnosis of substance use disorder (p = 0.023), recent substance abuse (p = 0.018) and a history of physical aggression since admission (p = 0.017) were associated with continued admission. Conclusion: Discharge of State patients is associated with an absence of substance abuse, lack of aggression, multiple successful leave of absences and length of stay in hospital.https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1083 |
| spellingShingle | Riaan G. Prinsloo Andre Swanepoel Gian Lippi Identifying factors associated with the discharge of male State patients from Weskoppies Hospital South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| title | Identifying factors associated with the discharge of male State patients from Weskoppies Hospital |
| title_full | Identifying factors associated with the discharge of male State patients from Weskoppies Hospital |
| title_fullStr | Identifying factors associated with the discharge of male State patients from Weskoppies Hospital |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identifying factors associated with the discharge of male State patients from Weskoppies Hospital |
| title_short | Identifying factors associated with the discharge of male State patients from Weskoppies Hospital |
| title_sort | identifying factors associated with the discharge of male state patients from weskoppies hospital |
| url | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1083 |
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