Extended length of stay in an Australian private psychiatric hospital: an observational study of patient, clinical, and treatment characteristics

Patient extended length of stay has been scarcely studied in Australian inpatient psychiatric units (IPUs). Previous research has focused on public IPUs, however, private IPUs also care for a large proportion of people with mental illness.

This study aimed to identify patient, clinical, and treatment characteristics associated with ELOS within a private IPU and compare these characteristics with those of public IPUs. It is hypothesised that patients with ELOS will have complex characteristics such as high unemployment status, multiple psychiatric diagnoses and physical health comorbidities.

This cross-sectional study examined characteristics of ELOS in a private Australian IPU between 1st July 2018 and 30th July 2019. A retrospective patient file audit collected characteristics of ELOS patients.

Of the 54 ELOS patients (M = 42.52 years [18.62]) admitted, the average LOS was 55.04 days (SD = 4.4 days). Most patients were female (77.8%), single (44.4%) and their income status was unemployed (25.9%), employed (24.1%) and pensioner (22.2%). The most prevalent psychiatric diagnoses were major depressive disorder (29.6%), eating disorder (24.1%), alcohol or substance use disorder (7.4%), and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (7.4%) respectively.

This study highlights patient, clinical, and treatment characteristics prevalent among private inpatients with ELOS. Future research should examine whether these are distinct from admissions that are not prolonged, with the aim to identify and reduce ELOS, and improve patient recovery, hospital flow and capacity.