The prevalence and impact of psychiatric comorbidity in inpatients admitted to a district general hospital in England: a 1-week cross-sectional study

摘要

Background Mental health problems are amongst the most frequent health problems throughout life and they interfere deeply with physical wellbeing. This study investigated the prevalence and impact of psychiatric comorbidities in a general hospital in the National Health Service. Methods A single-centre cross-sectional study of all inpatients during a 1-week period. Results The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity was 11.8% in 2,444 inpatients. These patients had higher inpatient mortality (8.7 vs 3.3%; p 0.001), 30-day readmission rates (24.7 vs 9.7%; p 0.001), length of stay (mean 16.7 vs 5 days; p 0.001), admission numbers (mean 1.3 vs 0.6; p 0.001) and emergency department presentations in the year prior to their index admission (mean 2.3 vs 1.1; p 0.001). A total of 86.2% were admitted via emergency medicine, with peaks on Saturdays and Tuesdays, in the afternoon and around midnight. Conclusion This detailed account of psychiatric comorbidity in a general hospital shows a significant prevalence of mental health problems and its effect in a large general hospital serving a mixed urban and rural population in the UK.