Cross-sectional study of readmissions to the psychiatric ward of Hospital Estadual Mário Covas in Santo André, state of São Paulo, between 2008 and 2015

Abstract Objectives To assess the sociodemographic and diagnostic profile of data related to psychiatric readmissions to the psychiatric ward at Hospital Estadual Mário Covas between January 2008 and September 2015, in order to investigate the possible correlation between the rate of admission and readmission and the presence or absence of a discharged patient unit or other outpatient treatment unit. Methods This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study. Data on patients readmitted during the study period were sourced from a statistical analysis of the Hospital Estadual Mário Covas database using STATA 11.0. Results During the study period, hospitalization rates decreased, while the readmission rates increased over the years, at a total of 662 readmissions. This rise in readmissions had no correlation with the presence of a discharged patient unit or other outpatient unit. Women comprised the majority of the sample, with a mean age of 42; the most prevalent disorder among women was bipolar affective disorder, while among men it was schizophrenia. The length of hospitalization increased over time, with a maximum mean time of 23 days in 2015. Most of the patients were referred from Santo André as well as from hospitals in São Paulo. Conclusion The increase in the rate of readmissions over the years suggests that the mental healthcare model may have shortcomings along the chain. It is important to understand the epidemiological profile and chain of events that led to repeated hospitalizations in order to design new strategies and approaches to care so as to keep the patients stabilized.