Risk factors for readmission in schizophrenia patients following involuntary admission

A predictive model for readmission within 1-year post-discharge in patients with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia is a pervasive and severe mental disorder characterized by significant disability and high rates of recurrence. The persistently high rates of readmission after discharge present a serious challenge and source of stress in treating this population. Early identification of this risk is critical for implementing targeted interventions. The present study aimed to develop an easy-to-use predictive instrument for identifying the risk of readmission within 1-year post-discharge among schizophrenia patients in China.

METHODS

A prediction model, based on static factors, was developed using data from 247 schizophrenia inpatients admitted to the Mental Health Center in Wuxi, China, from July 1 to December 31, 2020. For internal validation, an additional 106 patients were included. Multivariate Cox regression was applied to identify independent predictors and to create a nomogram for predicting the likelihood of readmission within 1-year post-discharge. The model's performance in terms of discrimination and calibration was evaluated using bootstrapping with 1000 resamples.

RESULTS

Multivariate cox regression demonstrated that involuntary admission (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 4.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.13-8.86), repeat admissions (aHR 3.49, 95% CI 2.08-5.85), the prescription of antipsychotic polypharmacy (aHR 2.16, 95% CI 1.34-3.48), and a course of disease ≥ 20 years (aHR 1.80, 95% CI 1.04-3.12) were independent predictors for the readmission of schizophrenia patients within 1-year post-discharge. The area under the curve (AUC) and concordance index (C-index) of the nomogram constructed from these four factors were 0.820 and 0.780 in the training set, and 0.846 and 0.796 for the validation set, respectively. Furthermore, the calibration curves of the nomogram for both the training and validation sets closely approximated the ideal diagonal line. Additionally, decision curve analyses (DCAs) demonstrated a significantly better net benefit with this model.

CONCLUSIONS

A nomogram, developed using pre-discharge static factors, was designed to predict the likelihood of readmission within 1-year post-discharge for patients with schizophrenia. This tool may offer clinicians an accurate and effective way for the timely prediction and early management of psychiatric readmissions.

Predictors of Readmission in Young Adults with First-Episode Psychosis: A Multicentric Retrospective Study with a 12-Month Follow-Up

BACKGROUND

A significant number of young individuals are readmitted one or more times shortly after their first episode of psychosis. Readmission may represent a marker of psychopathological vulnerability. Our primary aim was to evaluate the impact of clinical and socio-demographic variables on readmission at 12-month follow-up. Secondly, our goal was to determine whether the use of Long-Acting Injection (LAI) antipsychotics provides notable benefits compared to oral medications in preventing subsequent readmissions.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

80 patients hospitalised for the first time with a diagnosis of psychotic disorder (ICD-10 criteria) were retrospectively assessed through clinical records. The mean age was 21.7 years. Patients were predominantly male (n = 62, 77.5%), and 55 subjects had at least 8 years of education. 50% of the sample was "NEET" (not in education, employment, or training).

RESULTS

35 patients (43.8%) were discharged with a LAI antipsychotic, while 45 (56.2%) recieved oral antipsychotic therapy. Substance use (p = 0.04) and oral antipsychotics at discharge (p = 0.003) were significantly associated with readmission at 1 year. We did not find any significant predictors of being discharged with LAI therapy.

CONCLUSION

Our findings underlined the importance of identifying patients at risk of readmission in order to prevent future rehospitalization and promote appropriate prevention strategies. LAIs should be considered as a first-choice treatment for patients hospitalised for FEP since they proved to be effective in preventing relapse.

Assessing the impact of long-acting injectable compared to oral antipsychotic medications on readmission to a state psychiatric hospital

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT

People living with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) have a higher death rate which is caused, in part, by poorer adherence to treatment as compared to those with other mental illnesses. Using long-acting injectable antipsychotic (LAI) medications can improve medication adherence and reduce hospitalizations for people living with SSD but are often underutilized.

WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE

As compared to oral antipsychotic medications provided to patients with SSD at discharge from a psychiatric hospitalization, being provided with an LAI antipsychotic medication may reduce subsequent rehospitalization. Specifically, patients discharged on an atypical or second-generation LAI medication are less likely to be readmitted to the hospital when compared to those discharged on a typical first-generation oral medication.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Because LAI antipsychotic medications are often underutilized as treatment options, the study findings suggest that this modality may be considered for patients with SSD when being discharged from a psychiatric hospitalization. Ideally, psychiatric-mental health nurses can educate patients about indications, benefits, and risks of using atypical or second-generation LAI antipsychotic medications during hospitalization and at discharge prevent the risk for future rehospitalizations.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: People living with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) have poorer medication adherence compared to those with other mental illnesses. Long-acting injectable antipsychotic (LAI) medication use is associated with greater adherence, reduced re-hospitalizations, and improved recovery outcomes when compared to oral formulations.

AIM

To compare LAI antipsychotic medication use versus oral formulations on readmission to an inpatient hospital.

METHOD

Medical records (N = 707) from a state psychiatric hospital in the southern region of the United States were reviewed. Controlling for demographic variables, logistic regression analyses were used to examine LAI compared to oral formulations on readmission.

RESULTS

Compared to patients discharged with oral antipsychotic medications, those with LAIs had a lower proportion of readmission rates in 6-month and 1-year periods, but not 30-day or 2-year periods. When controlling for demographic variables, those discharged with an atypical LAI had significantly lower odds of being readmitted within the 24-year period compared to those discharged on a typical oral antipsychotic.

DISCUSSION

Compared to orals, LAIs do not increase and may mitigate readmissions to psychiatric hospitalization.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Psychiatric-mental health nurses and other professionals may recommend LAIs when indicated for those with SSD.

Efficacy of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics Versus Oral Antipsychotics in Preventing Psychiatric Rehospitalizations

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia is a chronic, debilitating mental illness that incurs a large economic burden. Decreasing hospital readmissions is a priority in health care to improve patient quality of life and decrease health care costs. Determining ways to prevent readmissions such as improving access to long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics is important to assess.

METHODS/PROCEDURES

A single-center retrospective review was conducted comparing readmission rates of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder discharged on LAI or oral antipsychotics between August 1, 2019, and June 30, 2022. The primary outcome was the 30-day psychiatric readmission rate. Secondary outcomes included chlorpromazine equivalent doses and use of anticholinergic medications.

FINDINGS/RESULTS

The 30-day readmission rate was 1.9% for the LAI antipsychotic group and 8.3% for the oral antipsychotic group ( P = 0.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-20.02). The average chlorpromazine equivalent antipsychotic dose of patients discharged on LAI versus oral antipsychotic medications was 477.3 and 278.6 mg/d, respectively ( P < 0.001). In addition, the prevalence of medications used to treat extrapyramidal symptom was 22.3% (n = 23) for the LAI antipsychotic group and 30.8% (n = 74) for the oral antipsychotic group ( P = 0.12). Sixty-four percent of LAI antipsychotics utilized were obtained from pharmaceutical company hospital inpatient free trial programs.

IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS

Long-acting injectable antipsychotics showed a statistically significant reduction in 30-day rehospitalizations as compared with oral antipsychotics and hospital inpatient free trial programs aided in LAI antipsychotic acquisition.

Time-to-therapy discontinuation in patients newly diagnosed with schizophrenia initiated on long-acting injectable versus oral dopamine receptor blocking agents

AIM

The purpose of this project is to assess the time-to-therapy discontinuation and hospital readmission rate among patients newly diagnosed with schizophrenia who are prescribed long-acting injectable versus oral dopamine receptor blocking agents.

METHODS

A retrospective review of medical records was performed for adult patients admitted to an 80-bed inpatient behavioural health facility with a new diagnosis of schizophrenia. The primary outcome studied was time to therapy discontinuation within 1 year of discharge, while secondary outcomes assessed were time-to-therapy discontinuation within 90 days and readmission rate at 30-days, 6 months, and 1 year. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard and linear regression modelling were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 425 patients were included in the analysis, with 66.4% (n = 282) discharged on oral and 33.6% (n = 143) on long-acting injectable dopamine receptor blocking agents. At 1 year post-discharge, the rates of discontinuation were 49.7% for those prescribed long-acting injectable and 55.7% for those prescribed oral formulations (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.54, p = .012). There was no statistically significant difference in readmission rate between the patients prescribed long-acting injectable and oral dopamine receptor blocking agents at any timepoint tested.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of long-acting injectable dopamine receptor blocking agents was associated with longer time-to-discontinuation compared to oral agents when prescribed to patients newly diagnosed with schizophrenia in the inpatient setting. However, this was not associated with significant reductions in rehospitalization, calling into question the clinical impact. Future studies will seek to confirm these findings using a prospective study design.

The revolving door phenomenon in severe psychiatric disorders: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The treatment of psychiatric patients has suffered a major change over the last decades, with long-term hospitalizations being replaced by short-term stays and appropriate aftercare in outpatient services. Some chronically ill patients exhibit a pattern of multiple hospitalizations, designated as the Revolving Door (RD) phenomenon.

AIMS

This review aims to analyse the existing literature regarding sociodemographic, clinical and other factors associated with multiple hospitalizations in psychiatric facilities.

METHOD

The search performed in the PubMed database for the terms revolving[Title] AND (psyc*[Title] OR schizo*[Title] OR mental[Title]) presented 30 citations, 8 of which met the eligibility criteria. Four other studies found in references of these articles were also included in the review.

RESULTS

Albeit the use of different criteria to define the RD phenomenon, it is more likely to be associated with patients who are younger, single, with low educational level, unemployed, diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, particularly schizophrenia, and with alcohol and/or substance use. It is also associated with a younger age on disease onset, suicidality, noncompliance and voluntary type of admission.

CONCLUSION

Recognizing patients with a RD pattern of admissions and prediction of rehospitalization can help the development of preventive intervention strategies and identify potential limitations in existing health care delivery systems.

An adapted management of early warning signs of relapse questionnaire: Validity and reliability

BACKGROUND

Self-management of early warning signs of relapse is critical when it comes to having an impact on the relapse rate and developing methods to successfully handle and manage those signs of relapse.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to test the validity and reliability of the adapted management of early warning signs of relapse questionnaire.

METHODS

Consisted of two main steps: first, adapting and validating, which involved a literature review, a panel of experts, the calculation of the CVI, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test, Bartlett's test of sphericity, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA); and secondly, reliability analysis, using the test-retest method, to assess the questionnaire's internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient-ICC).

RESULTS

The results showed that the questionnaire adapted was valid and reliable and can represent each item of the questionnaire for assessing the self-management of early warning signs of relapse.

CONCLUSION

This proves that all 20 items used to assess it are appropriate for assessing the effectiveness of the patients' and their primary caregivers' abilities to self-manage early warning signs of relapse.

Symptom-circuit mappings of the schizophrenia connectome

OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to model the anatomical circuits underlying schizophrenia symptoms, and to explore patterns of abnormal connectivity among brain networks affected by psychopathology.

METHODS

T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), and resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) were obtained from a total of 126 patients with schizophrenia who were recruited for the study. The images were processed using the Omniscient software (https://www.o8t. com). We further apply the use of the Hollow-tree Super (HoTS) method to gain insights into what brain regions had abnormal connectivity that might be linked to the symptoms of schizophrenia.

RESULTS

The Positive and Negative Symptom Scale is characterised into 6 factors. Each symptom is mapped with specific anatomical abnormalities and circuits. Comparison between factors reveals co-occurrence in parcels in Factor 1 and Factor 2. Multiple large-scale networks are involved in SCZ symptomatology, with functional connectivity within Default Mode Network (DMN) and Central Executive Network (CEN) regions most frequently associated with measures of psychopathology.

CONCLUSION

We present a summary of the relevant anatomy for regions of the cortical areas as part of a larger effort to understand its contribution in schizophrenia. This unique machine learning-type approach maps symptoms to specific brain regions and circuits by bridging the diagnostic subtypes and analysing the features of the connectome.

Sociodemographic, clinical and pharmacological factors influencing early readmission in mental health settings

Early readmissions (between 24 hours and 30 days after discharge) can be disruptive for psychiatric patients and their families.

Testing Efficacy of Relapse Prevention Intervention among Patients Diagnosed with Schizophrenia in Jordan

Relapse prevention is an essential component in sustaining positive treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a relapse prevention intervention on the ability of patients and their primary caregivers to self-detect and manage early warning signs of relapse, and its impact on relapse rate among patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Quasi-experimental design; one group posttest only, repeated measure time-series design was employed. A total of 40 patients and their primary caregivers represented the sample in this study. The statistical analysis revealed that the effect of relapse prevention intervention on patients and their primary caregivers' ability to self-detect severity and manage early warning signs of relapse has sustainable and positive effect on patients and their primary caregivers from T1 to T3 (patients, M = 9.0-9.3; caregivers, M = 9.7-9.9). Also, positive effect of intervention detected on abilities of patients and primary caregivers to manage EWS from T1 to T3 (patients, M = 35-36.0; caregivers, M = 39.7-38.1). The analysis also showed a low relapse rate (14.9%). The study showed that relapse prevention interventions is effective and applicable approach that psychiatric nurses can use to ensure sustainable positive outcomes of psychiatric healthcare among patients with schizophrenia.

Risk assessment and its influencing factors of involuntary admission in patients with mental disorders in Shanghai, China

BACKGROUND

The 'risk criterion' for involuntary admission (IA) has been adopted by Mental Health Law of the People's Republic of China since 2013. How the new legal regulation influences daily practices in psychiatric institutes are still unclear.

AIMS

The present study sought to explore the application of risk criterion in IA cases; especially risk assessed by psychiatrists at admission and its influencing factors.

METHOD

Socio-demographic and clinical data including risk assessment for admission of 3,529 involuntary admitted patients from two typical hospitals in Shanghai from 2013 to 2014 were consecutively collected. Personal information of psychiatrists who made admission assessment was collected separately.

RESULTS

Among the 3,529 cases, 1,890 (53.6%) were admitted because of actual harmful behaviors to self or others, while 1,639 (46.4%) were admitted with some kinds of risk, but 265 (7.5%) were admitted without any records on risk assessment checklists. Patients who were unemployed, of younger age, single status, diagnosed with schizophrenia were more likely to be admitted without any records on the checklist. Male gender, older age, and lower professional title are influencing factors that psychiatrists made no risk assessment records.

CONCLUSIONS

The vast majority (92.5%) of risk assessment in IA patients were qualified in our study. In order to protect the legal rights of patients better, operational and reasonable procedures of risk assessment should be developed, such include more detailed rules to IA, systematic training of psychiatrists on IA assessment, mechanism improving doctor-patient relationship, and alternative mental health services for patients and so on.

Exploring Discharge Outcomes and Readmission Rates of Mothers Admitted to a Psychiatric Mother and Baby Unit

To evaluate change in Health of the Nation Outcome Scale (HoNOS) scores from admission to discharge, readmission rates after 28-day and six months post-discharge, and factors associated with readmission in a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU). An exploratory cohort study was completed of mother-infant dyads admitted to a public psychiatric MBU in Australia between March 2017 and August 2018 (18 months). Admission and discharge scores on the clinician-rated Health of the Nation Outcome Scale (HoNOS) were compared using dependent samples t-tests. The frequency of readmission to any psychiatric inpatient unit within six months of discharge was determined from medical records. Characteristics of mothers who were and were not readmitted were evaluated. Of the 82 mother-infant dyads admissions, 12 (14.63%) women were readmitted within six months, and six (7.31%) were readmitted within 28-days. Total HoNOS scores significantly improved between admission and discharge (t₍₈₁₎=9.45, p<.000). Descriptive statistics for demographics, diagnoses, Mental Health Act status and discharge supports were computed for women readmitted and not readmitted. While these readmission rates and HONOS scores reflect a successful MBU admission, further research is required with larger sample sizes and more specific maternal and infant mental health outcome measures.

Participant Engagement and Symptom Improvement: Aripiprazole Tablets with Sensor for the Treatment of Schizophrenia

PURPOSE

A recent, phase 3b, mirror-image clinical trial of outpatients with schizophrenia found that use of aripiprazole tablets with sensor (AS; Abilify MyCite^®, comprising an ingestible event-marker sensor embedded in aripiprazole tablets, wearable sensor patches, and a smartphone application) reduced the incidence of psychiatric hospitalizations relative to oral standard-of-care antipsychotics. This analysis explored the relationship between AS engagement by participants and changes in participant performance and symptom-severity measures assessed by clinical raters.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

This post hoc analysis used prospectively collected clinical data from a phase 3b clinical trial (NCT03892889). Outpatients had schizophrenia, were aged 18-65 years, and had ≥ 1 psychiatric hospitalization in the previous 48 months. Participants were grouped by study completion status and a k-means clustering algorithm based on AS utilization, resulting in 3 groups: discontinued (discontinued AS before month 3 of the study); moderate engagement (completed 3 months, used AS intermittently); and high engagement (completed 3 months, used AS regularly). Baseline to end-of-study differences for the Clinical Global Impression Scale (Severity of Illness and Improvement of Illness scales), Personal and Social Performance Scale, and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 277 outpatients were enrolled (discontinued, n = 164; moderate engagement, n = 63; high engagement, n = 50). All groups experienced symptom improvement from baseline to end-of-study, with significant changes in the more-engaged groups. Highly engaged participants showed significant improvement for all clinical scores and subscores (all P < 0.05) and demonstrated significantly more improvement in symptoms than participants with less engagement.

CONCLUSION

Participants who completed 3 months of the study and had higher AS engagement experienced significantly greater improvement in their end-of-study clinical assessments versus participants who did not complete 3 months. Improvement may be related to more-consistent medication intake and better engagement with a digital health system.

Time to rehospitalization in involuntarily hospitalized individuals suffering from schizophrenia discharged on long-acting injectable antipsychotics or oral antipsychotics

BACKGROUND

Involuntarily hospitalized individuals suffering from schizophrenia often have a poorer prognosis after discharge.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze time to rehospitalization within 6 months of discharge in involuntarily hospitalized individuals suffering from schizophrenia discharged on long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) or oral antipsychotics (OAPs). In addition, temporal trends in LAI use at discharge were explored.

METHODS

Involuntarily hospitalized individuals suffering from schizophrenia discharged from the study hospital between 2006 and 2019 (n = 806) were included in the analysis. Survival analysis was used to compare time to rehospitalization within 6 months of discharge between individuals discharged on LAIs and OAPs, and between first-generation antipsychotic (FGA) LAIs and second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) LAIs. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to test whether a temporal trend existed for LAIs use at discharge during the study period.

RESULTS

The LAIs group (n = 231) had a significantly lower rate of rehospitalization and a significantly longer time to rehospitalization than the OAPs group (n = 575). Rehospitalization rate and time to rehospitalization were not significantly different between individuals discharged on FGA-LAIs and SGA-LAIs. LAIs use at discharge grew significantly from 16.77% in 2006 to 50.00% in 2019 (Z = 6.81, p < 0.0001). Among all LAIs, only use of SGA-LAIs at discharge increased significantly (Z = 5.74, p < 0.0001), but not FGA-LAIs.

CONCLUSIONS

LAIs were superior to OAPs in preventing rehospitalization. However, SGA-LAIs were comparable with FGA-LAIs in reducing rehospitalization risk. Use of LAIs increased significantly in discharged involuntarily hospitalized individuals during the study period, especially SGA-LAIs.

Sociodemographic, Circumstantial, and Psychopathological Predictors of Involuntary Admission of Patients with Acute Psychosis

Studies have consistently determined that patients with acute psychosis are more likely to be involuntarily admitted, although few studies examine specific risk factors of involuntary admission (IA) among this patient group. Data from all patients presenting in the psychiatric emergency department (PED) over a period of one year were extracted. Acute psychosis was identified using specific diagnostic criteria. Predictors of IA were determined using logistic regression analysis. Out of 2533 emergency consultations, 597 patients presented with symptoms of acute psychosis, of whom 118 were involuntarily admitted (19.8%). Involuntarily admitted patients were more likely to arrive via police escort (odds ratio (OR) 10.94) or ambulance (OR 2.95), live in a psychiatric residency/nursing home (OR 2.76), report non-adherence to medication (OR 2.39), and were less likely to suffer from (comorbid) substance abuse (OR 0.53). Use of mechanical restraint was significantly associated with IA (OR 13.31). Among psychopathological aspects, aggressiveness was related to the highest risk of IA (OR 6.18), followed by suicidal intent (OR 5.54), disorientation (OR 4.66), tangential thinking (OR 3.95), and suspiciousness (OR 2.80). Patients stating fears were less likely to be involuntarily admitted (OR 0.25). By understanding the surrounding influencing factors, patient care can be improved with the aim of reducing the use of coercion.

Structure and predictors of in-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission among patients with schizophrenia in Japan: A cross-sectional study

Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by psychotic relapses. Globally, about 15%-30% of patients with schizophrenia discharged from inpatient psychiatric admissions are readmitted within 90 days due to exacerbation of symptoms that leads to self-harm, harm to others, or self-neglect. The purpose of this study was to investigate the structure and predictors of in-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission among patients with schizophrenia. A new questionnaire was developed to assess the extent to which respondents delivered in-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission among patients with schizophrenia. This study adopted a cross-sectional research design. The survey was conducted with the new questionnaires. The participants were registered nurses working in psychiatric wards. Item analyses and exploratory factor analyses were performed using the new questionnaires to investigate the structure of in-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission. Stepwise regression analyses were conducted to examine the factors predicting in-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission. Data were collected from 724 registered nurses in Japan. In-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission was found to consist of five factors: promoting cognitive functioning and self-care, identifying reasons for readmission, establishing cooperative systems within the community, sharing goals about community life, and creating restful spaces. In-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission was predicted by the following variables: the score on the nursing excellence scale in clinical practice, the score on therapeutic hold, and the participation of community care providers in pre-discharge conferences. Japanese psychiatric nurses provide nursing care based on these five factors leading to reduction in early readmission. Such nursing care would be facilitated by not only nurses' excellence but also nurses' environmental factors, especially the therapeutic climate of the ward and the participation of community care providers in pre-discharge conferences.

Life after hospital discharge for people with long-term mental disorders in South Korea: Focusing on the "revolving door phenomenon"

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to explore the lives of Koreans with long-term mental disorders who had experienced multiple readmissions after hospital discharges.

METHODS

In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 participants and thematic analysis was used to examine their data.

FINDINGS

Four themes emerged from the data, describing their lives: they suffered in the aspects of social maladjustment, loneliness, causing shame to their families, and managing mental illnesses.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

After patients with mental disorders are discharged from the hospital, they need transitional care before systematic community-based care to enhance their autonomy and reduce the burden on their families.

Socio-Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Adults With Psychotic Symptomatology Under Involuntary Admission and Readmission for Compulsory Treatment in a Referral Psychiatric Hospital in Cyprus

Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of adults under compulsory psychiatric treatment, have not been reported adequately in Southern European countries. We investigated the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of adults with psychotic symptomatology who were involuntarily treated in the acute Mental Health Services in Cyprus. A descriptive cross-sectional study was applied. Data collection (December 2016 to February 2018) achieved via a structured questionnaire including demographic and clinical variables. Census sampling was applied in Cyprus referral center for compulsory psychiatric treatment. The sample included 406 individuals (262 males, 144 females). Approximately 86.2% were single, 77.6% were unemployed, and 24.9% held a bachelor's degree. The most frequent clinical diagnosis was schizophrenia or a relevant psychotic disorder (86.4%). The most frequent admission cause was non-adherence to pharmacotherapy along with disorganized behavior (agitation and/or self-care deficit, and/or aggressive behavior, and/or suicidal behavior) (53.6%). Moreover, 70.7% of the sample reported a positive personal history of mental health problems, while 42.1% reported a positive family history of mental health disorders. Half of the participants (52%) were previously involuntarily admitted for compulsory treatment. Adjusted associations of readmission status were reported with Cypriot ethnicity (OR: 4.40, 95%CI: 2.58-7.50), primary education only (OR: 3.70, 95%CI: 1.64-8.37), readmission due to disorganized behavior along with non-adherence to pharmacotherapy (OR: 10.84, 95%CI: 2.69-43.72), as well as along with substance use (OR: 6.39, 95%CI: 1.52-26.82). Readmission was almost five times more likely to occur due to suicidal behavior (OR: 5.01, 95%CI: 1.09-22.99) compared to disorganized behavior not otherwise specified. Additionally, those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were more than 12 times more frequently readmitted for compulsory treatment compared to other diagnoses (OR 12.15, 95%CI: 1.04-142). Moreover, the participants with higher secondary education had 54.6% less odds to be involuntarily re-admitted compared to Bachelor degree holders (OR 0.442, 95%CI: 0.24-0.79). A high percentage of involuntary treatment was noted due to non-adherence to pharmacotherapy and substance use. Re-evaluation of the effectiveness of relevant community interventions is suggested, as well as implementation of structured educational programs on therapy adherence during psychiatric hospitalization.

Factors associated with laxative use in schizophrenia patients treated with second-generation antipsychotics

The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with concomitant laxative use among schizophrenia patients discharged on second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) at two large psychiatric hospitals in Taiwan. Patients with schizophrenia who were discharged between 2006 and 2017 and received SGA monotherapy at discharge were included in the analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with regular laxative use at discharge. Multivariate Cox regression was used to determine the effect of laxative use at discharge on time to rehospitalization within one year. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to evaluate whether significant time trends existed for rates of laxative use at discharge during the study period. Among patients discharged on SGAs (n = 11,861), 3,336 (28.1%) also received concomitant laxatives. Advanced age and higher antipsychotic or anticholinergic doses were found to be associated with an increase in laxative use. Among SGAs, clozapine was associated with the highest rate of laxative use, followed by zotepine, quetiapine, olanzapine and risperidone. Additionally, risperidone, amisulpride, aripiprazole, paliperidone and ziprasidone were associated with comparable rates of laxative use. In contrast, sulpiride was least associated with laxative use among all SGAs. Regular laxative use at discharge was found to be significantly associated with psychiatric rehospitalization. Also, rate of laxative use at discharge increased significantly during the study period. Laxative use is common in schizophrenia patients treated with SGAs. For clinically significant constipation, switching to an SGA with a lower risk for constipation, and decreasing the doses of SGAs and anticholinergics should be considered.

Predicting hospitalization following psychiatric crisis care using machine learning

BACKGROUND

Accurate prediction models for whether patients on the verge of a psychiatric criseis need hospitalization are lacking and machine learning methods may help improve the accuracy of psychiatric hospitalization prediction models. In this paper we evaluate the accuracy of ten machine learning algorithms, including the generalized linear model (GLM/logistic regression) to predict psychiatric hospitalization in the first 12 months after a psychiatric crisis care contact. We also evaluate an ensemble model to optimize the accuracy and we explore individual predictors of hospitalization.

METHODS

Data from 2084 patients included in the longitudinal Amsterdam Study of Acute Psychiatry with at least one reported psychiatric crisis care contact were included. Target variable for the prediction models was whether the patient was hospitalized in the 12 months following inclusion. The predictive power of 39 variables related to patients' socio-demographics, clinical characteristics and previous mental health care contacts was evaluated. The accuracy and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the machine learning algorithms were compared and we also estimated the relative importance of each predictor variable. The best and least performing algorithms were compared with GLM/logistic regression using net reclassification improvement analysis and the five best performing algorithms were combined in an ensemble model using stacking.

RESULTS

All models performed above chance level. We found Gradient Boosting to be the best performing algorithm (AUC = 0.774) and K-Nearest Neighbors to be the least performing (AUC = 0.702). The performance of GLM/logistic regression (AUC = 0.76) was slightly above average among the tested algorithms. In a Net Reclassification Improvement analysis Gradient Boosting outperformed GLM/logistic regression by 2.9% and K-Nearest Neighbors by 11.3%. GLM/logistic regression outperformed K-Nearest Neighbors by 8.7%. Nine of the top-10 most important predictor variables were related to previous mental health care use.

CONCLUSIONS

Gradient Boosting led to the highest predictive accuracy and AUC while GLM/logistic regression performed average among the tested algorithms. Although statistically significant, the magnitude of the differences between the machine learning algorithms was in most cases modest. The results show that a predictive accuracy similar to the best performing model can be achieved when combining multiple algorithms in an ensemble model.

Voluntary admissions for patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

Voluntary admission rates of schizophrenia vary widely across studies. In order to make the topic be informed by evidence, it is important to have accurate estimates. This meta-analysis examined the worldwide prevalence of voluntary admissions for patients with schizophrenia.

METHOD

PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Medline databases were systematically searched, from their commencement date until 19th November 2018. Meta-analysis of included studies was performed using the random-effects model.

RESULTS

Thirty-five studies with 134,100 schizophrenia patients were included. The overall voluntary admission rate of schizophrenia was 61.9 % (95 %CI: 52.3 %-70.7 %), while the involuntary rate was 43.0 % (95 %CI: 34.8 %-51.7 %). Subgroup analyses revealed that patients in Europe had significantly higher voluntary admission rates, while their North American counterparts were more likely admitted involuntarily. Papers published prior to 2008 reported higher involuntary admission rates. Meta-regression analyses showed that higher male percentage and higher study quality were significantly associated with higher voluntary admission rate.

CONCLUSION

Although the worldwide prevalence of voluntary admissions was higher than that of involuntary admissions, the latter was common for schizophrenia. With the continuing liberalization of mental health laws broadening community-based psychiatric services, the rate of voluntary psychiatric admissions is expected to further increase over time.

Clinical risk model to predict 28-day unplanned readmission via the accident and emergency department after discharge from acute psychiatric units for patients with psychotic spectrum disorders

BACKGROUND

Unplanned readmissions rates are an important indicator of the quality of care provided in a psychiatric unit. However, there is no validated risk model to predict this outcome in patients with psychotic spectrum disorders.

AIMS

This paper aims to establish a clinical risk prediction model to predict 28-day unplanned readmission via the accident and emergency department after discharge from acute psychiatric units for patients with psychotic spectrum disorders.

METHOD

Adult patients with psychotic spectrum disorders discharged within a 5-year period from all psychiatric units in Hong Kong were included in this study. Information on the socioeconomic background, past medical and psychiatric history, current discharge episode and Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) scores were used in a logistic regression to derive the risk model and the predictive variables. The sample was randomly split into two to derive (n = 10 219) and validate (n = 10 643) the model.

RESULTS

The rate of unplanned readmission was 7.09%. The risk factors for unplanned readmission include higher number of previous admissions, comorbid substance misuse, history of violence and a score of one or more in the discharge HoNOS overactivity or aggression item. Protective factors include older age, prescribing clozapine, living with family and relatives after discharge and imposition of conditional discharge. The model had moderate discriminative power with a c-statistic of 0.705 and 0.684 on the derivation and validation data-set.

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of readmission for each patient can be identified and adjustments in the treatment for those with a high risk may be implemented to prevent this undesirable outcome.

A Comparison of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics With Oral Antipsychotics on Time to Rehospitalization Within 1 Year of Discharge in Elderly Patients With Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE

The effectiveness of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) in elderly patients with schizophrenia remains unclear. This study aimed to compare the effect of LAIs with oral antipsychotics (OAPs) on time to rehospitalization within 1 year of discharge in this population. Other factors potentially associated with time to rehospitalization and trends in LAI prescription rates during the study period were also investigated.

METHODS

Patients over 60 years of age with schizophrenia discharged between 2006 and 2017 were followed for 1 year under naturalistic conditions. Survival analysis was used in the comparison between LAIs and OAPs regarding time to rehospitalization. Covariates thought to affect time to rehospitalization were also analyzed. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to evaluate whether a time trend existed for LAI prescription rates.

RESULTS

The LAIs group had a significantly lower rehospitalization rate and a significantly longer time to rehospitalization within 1 year of discharge than the OAPs group. Other factors that were associated with a longer time to rehospitalization included a shorter index hospitalization during the time of the study and fewer previous hospitalizations. No significant time trend was found for LAI prescription rates during the study period. However, the prescription rate of second-generation LAIs grew significantly.

CONCLUSION

LAIs were found superior to OAPs in preventing rehospitalization. A continuous increase in second-generation LAI prescription rate may be due to the better side-effect profile of second-generation LAIs compared to first-generation LAIs. More studies investigating the effectiveness of LAIs in elderly patients with schizophrenia are needed in the future.

Changing patterns and influencing factors of involuntary admissions following the implementation of China's mental health law: A 4-year longitudinal investigation

Involuntary admission (IA) is limited to particular situations in mental health laws to protect patients from unnecessary coercion. China’s first national mental health law has been in effect since 2013; however, the status of IA has not been sufficiently explored. To explore the changing patterns of IA since the clinical application of the IA criteria specified in the new law, an investigation of IA status was undertaken in 14 periods (each period lasting for one month from 05/2013 to 05/2017) in the tertiary specialized psychiatric hospital in Shanghai. The socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of 3733 patients were collected. The differences among IA rates in different periods were compared, and the characteristics of patients who were and were not involuntarily admitted were analysed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to clarify the independent variables of IA. The IA rate dramatically decreased after the implementation of the new law, while the overall trend gradually increased. The implementation of the IA risk criteria is effective, but IA is still common in China. The medical factors influencing IA following the implementation of the new law are similar to those in previous studies at home and abroad. Non-medical factors might be the main causes of the high IA rates in Chinese psychiatric institutions.

Time to Rehospitalization in Patients With Schizophrenia Receiving Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics or Oral Antipsychotics

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate and compare time to rehospitalization in patients with schizophrenia receiving long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) after discharge with those receiving oral antipsychotics. Additionally, the trend of LAIs prescription rates was investigated.

METHODS

Patients with schizophrenia (n = 13 087), who were discharged from the study hospital from 2006 to 2017, were followed-up under naturalistic conditions in the year after discharge. The primary outcome was time to rehospitalization. Survival analysis was used in the comparisons between LAIs and oral antipsychotics and between FGA-LAIs and SGA-LAIs. Simple linear regression and Cochrane-Armitage trend test were used to test whether a time trend existed for LAIs prescription rates.

RESULTS

In the 1 year following discharge, patients in the LAIs group had a significantly lower rehospitalization rate and a significantly lengthened time to rehospitalization than those in the oral antipsychotics group. Rehospitalization rate and time to rehospitalization were not significantly different in patients receiving FGA-LAIs or SGA-LAIs. A significantly higher percentage of patients treated with FGA-LAIs received anticholinergic agents than those treated with SGA-LAIs. The LAIs prescription rate grew significantly from 2006 to 2017 by an average of 0.5% per year.

CONCLUSIONS

LAIs were significantly superior to oral antipsychotics in reducing rehospitalization risk, whereas SGA-LAIs were comparable with FGA-LAIs in reducing rehospitalization risk. However, use of concomitant anticholinergic agents was less frequent in the SGA-LAIs group than in the FGA-LAIs group. Increase in LAIs prescription rate may be due to growing experiences and success among clinicians in treating patients with LAIs.

Hospitalization risk factors in antipsychotic-treated schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder or major depressive disorder

Aim: To examine hospitalization risk factors in antipsychotic-treated patients with schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder (BD-I) or major depressive disorder (MDD). Patients & methods: Using Truven Health MarketScan® Commercial, Medicaid and Medicare Supplemental data (01/01/2012–06/30/2016), logistic regression models were performed to identify risk factors for both psychiatric and all-cause hospitalization in three separate analyses. Results: Significant risk factors included prior hospitalization (schizophrenia: odds ratio [95% CI]: 2.83 [2.50–3.21; psychiatric]; 2.58 [2.31–2.87; all-cause]; BD-I: 2.42 [2.23–2.63]; 2.09 [1.96–2.23]; MDD: 2.81 [2.49–3.16]; 2.21 [2.03–2.40]), previous antipsychotic treatment (schizophrenia: 1.71 [1.52–1.93]; 1.31 [1.18–1.46]; BD-I: 1.33 [1.23–1.44]; 1.22 [1.14–1.30]; MDD: 1.31 (1.11–1.54); 1.17 (1.04–1.32) and substance abuse (schizophrenia: 1.42 [1.27–1.60]; 1.37 [1.23–1.53]; BD-I: 1.72 [1.58–1.86]; 1.61 [1.50–1.72]; MDD: 1.90 [1.68–2.15] and 1.55 [1.41–1.71]). Conclusion: Prior hospitalization, previous antipsychotic treatment and substance abuse were associated with increased hospitalization risk in schizophrenia, BD-I or MDD.

Compulsory admission is associated with an increased risk of readmission in patients with schizophrenia: a 7-year, population-based, retrospective cohort study

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to assess the risk of psychiatric readmission in patients with schizophrenia, compare it between patients prescribed compulsory admission and those consenting to voluntary admission, and determine risk factors for psychiatric readmission.

METHODS

This 7-year (2007-2013), population-based, cohort study retrospectively compared data of 2038 schizophrenic inpatients who initially underwent compulsory admission (the CA group) and of 8152 matched controls with schizophrenia who initially underwent voluntary admission (the VA group).

RESULTS

During the study period, there were 1204 and 3806 readmissions in the CA and VA groups, respectively. Compared with the VA group, the CA group was associated with a greater risk of psychiatric readmission [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 1.765; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.389-2.243; P < 0.001]. Stratified analyses showed that the CA group was associated with a higher risk of subsequent compulsory (AHR = 1.307; 95% CI 1.029-1.661; P < 0.001) and voluntary (AHR = 1.801; 95% CI 1.417-2.289; P < 0.001) readmissions compared to the VA group. Sensitivity analyses, after excluding data from the first year of observation, also provided significant findings with respect to compulsory and voluntary readmissions. Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that cumulative survival rates of psychiatric readmissions, compulsory and voluntary readmissions were significantly lower in the CA group than in the VA group among patients with schizophrenia (log-rank test, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

CA was associated with higher subsequent psychiatric readmissions, compulsory, and voluntary readmissions. Clinicians would need to focus on patients undergoing CAs to reduce readmissions.

Predictors of Compulsory Re-admission to Psychiatric Inpatient Care

Objective: This prospective study addresses risk factors of compulsory re-admission focusing on the role of the patient's subjective symptom distress and perceived social support, based on comprehensive patient and external (clinicians, study staff) assessments. Methods: Of the baseline sample, 168 (71%) patients with serious mental disorders, who had been compulsorily admitted to psychiatric inpatient care, were followed over 24 months after discharge within the framework of a RCT. Results: During this time 36% had compulsory re-admissions; risk was highest immediately after discharge. Regression models identified a history of previous compulsory hospitalisations and compulsory admission due to endangerment of others as the predictors most strongly associated with the outcome. Patients diagnosed with a psychotic disorder or an emotionally instable or combined personality disorder were most likely to experience compulsory re-hospitalisation, with poor response to treatment further significantly increasing the risk. The patient ratings of subjective symptom distress or perceived social support had no predictive value for compulsory re-admission, and this study did not provide evidence for a significant prognostic relevance of sociodemographic background factors. Conclusions: The present findings suggest that within individual-level variables disease-related factors are essentially the strongest predictors, but including the patients' subjective perspective does not enhance the prediction of compulsory re-hospitalisation. The psychiatric treatment of patients with recurrent and often challenging behavioural problems, at the more severe end of the spectrum of mental disorders, deserves closer attention if the use of compulsory hospitalisation is to be reduced.