Symptoms and hospitalization decisions

Abstract

On the basis of semistructured evaluations of all new patients presenting for care during a 1-yr period at a comprehensive psychiatric facility, the authors systematically assessed the relationship between various aspects of the patients'' symptoms and hospitalization decisons. The individual symptoms correlating the highest with hospitalization were self-neglect, disorganized thought process and impulsivity. Even greater correlations, in increasing order, were obtained for the total number of symptoms present, for delusional psychosis (1 of the broad factors underlying the patient''s symptoms), and for a linear combination composed of self-neglect, impulsivity, suspiciousness and suicidal indicators.