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Christmas census at a district general hospital psychiatric unit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Clive Ballard ,
Carol Bannister ,
Rachel Davis ,
Sumi Handy ,
Paul Cullen  and
Ramalingam Chithiramohan
Clive Ballard
Affiliation:
Walsgrave Hospital, Clifford Bridge Road, Coventry CV2 2DX, England
Carol Bannister
Affiliation:
Walsgrave Hosptial, Coventry
Rachel Davis
Affiliation:
Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry
Sumi Handy
Affiliation:
Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry
Paul Cullen
Affiliation:
Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry
Ramalingam Chithiramohan
Affiliation:
West Midlands Rotational Training Scheme
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Abstract

We present a descriptive study discussing the reasons why patients remained as in-patients within the psychiatric unit over the Christmas period. In over 50% of cases continuation of in-patient stay was necessitated by the severity of mental illness. However, a significant minority of patients were unable to leave because of either poor family support or reduced input from the community mental health services. There was some evidence of Christmas good will influencing admission policy with a significantly greater number of patients admitted with alcohol problems over the week before Christmas all of whom were lonely and expressed a preference to be in hospital.

A more long term problem was also evident as an important minority of patients' hospital stay was unnecessarily prolonged because of unavailability of suitable community placements.

Type
Clinical and Brief Reports
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , March 1991 , pp. 46 - 47
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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References

1.American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 3rd ed – revised. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1987.Google Scholar
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3.Murphy, E. Community Care I: Problems. Br Med J 1987; 295: 1505–1508.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed