Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T04:02:04.276Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The use of inpatient services in patients with borderline personality disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Sinead O'Neill ,
Ruth Curran ,
Catherine Canning  and
Oscar Daly
Sinead O'Neill
Affiliation:
Lagan Valley Hospital, Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Ruth Curran
Affiliation:
Lagan Valley Hospital, Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Catherine Canning
Affiliation:
Lagan Valley Hospital, Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Oscar Daly*
Affiliation:
Lagan Valley Hospital, Lisburn, Northern Ireland
*
*Correspondence E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: To examine why five patients with borderline personality disorder were contributing to a high bed occupancy and high staff turnover on a general adult psychiatry inpatient unit.

Method: A retrospective audit looking at these individuals' service pattern use for the two-year period between 2001–2003 was undertaken. A new admission policy was then introduced. The policy was that admissions were agreed, where possible, at consultant level and, if deemed unavoidable, were time limited. The audit cycle was repeated for the next two year period, 2003–2005 and a third audit cycle was then performed for the period 2005–2007.

Results: Following the new admission policy, there was a 95% reduction in bed days for this group. Untoward incidents by these individuals reduced by 93% and attendance at Accident and Emergency was also significantly reduced.

Conclusions: By limiting the frequency and length of admissions there was, unsurprisingly, a reduction in adverse incidents which lead to significant problems for patients and staff alike.

Type
Brief Report
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 27 , Issue 4 , December 2010 , pp. 192 - 194
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Dasgupta, P, Barber, J.Admission patterns of patients with personality disorder. Psychiatric Bulletin 2004; 28, 321–323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Bender, D, Skodol, A, Pagano, Met al.Brief reports; prospective assessment of treatment use by patients with personality disorders. Psychiatr Serv, 2006; 57, 254–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.National Institute for Mental Health in England. Personality Disorder: No Longer a Diagnosis of exclusion. Policy Implementation Guidance for the Development of services for People with Personality Disorder. Department of Health 2003. www.nihe.org.uk/downloads/PDFinal.pdfGoogle Scholar
4.American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn) (DSM-IV). APA, 1994.Google Scholar
5.Fonagy, P, Bateman, A.Progress in the treatment of borderline personality disorder. British Journal Psychiatry 2006; 188: 1–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Nehls, N.Brief Hospital Treatment Plans: Innovation in Practice and Research. Issues in Mental Health Nursing 1994; 15:1–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Comtois, K, Russo, J, Snowden, Met al.Factors associated with high use of public mental health services by persons with borderline personality disorder. Psychiatric Services 2003; 54: 1149–1154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed