An analysis of re-admissions to the psychiatric hospital in Barbados - abstract

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the causes and the frequency for re-admission to the Psychiatric Hospital in Barbados, and to suggest remedial measures where possible. All re-admissions over the three-month period February - May 1991 were administered a structured questionaire by interview. Demographic data on admissions were obtained from published hospital statistics over the last 16 years. The results show that 74 per cent of the re-admissions were male which compares with 48 per cent of males in the general population of the country. Some of the factors associated with male re-admission, as compared with females, were an earlier age of onset of illness (males 25.15 years; females 32.21 years), poor drug compliance (78 percent), a higher incidence of alcohol and other drug abuse (males 89 percent; females 13 percent) and a higher incidence of aggression and criminal behaviour (males 50 percent; females 7 percent). Most patients were from the urban parishes (60 percent), were unemployed (68 percent), and came from lower socio-economic backgrounds (88 percent). A finding of significance was that only 1 in every 35 patients registered with the outpatient services in the hospital. However, the district nursing service was not available in the urban areas from where 60 per cent of the patient came. It is concluded that the provision of adequate drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities, and expansion of the Psychiatric District Nursing Services to urban areas, would reduce the number of patients readmitted to the psychiatric Hospital (AU)