Psychiatric Readmissions in a Community-Based Sample of Patients With Mental Disorders

Objective: This study examined whether receipt of outpatient psychiatric services after hospital discharge was associated with reduced risk of readmission. Methods: Treatment records from patients admitted to San Diego County psychiatric hospitals over a one-year period were obtained from the San Diego County Behavioral Health Services electronic health record system. A discrete-time proportional hazards model was used to examine the association of receipt of outpatient psychiatric services with readmission within 30 days of discharge from the index hospitalization. Results: Of the 4,663 patients, 16% were readmitted within 30 days. In an adjusted model, receipt of outpatient therapy after discharge was associated with a greater likelihood of being readmitted (hazard ratio=1.36, 95% confidence interval=1.14-1.67), whereas receipt of case management or medication management was not associated with readmission. Conclusions: The differential risk of readmission by service type suggests a need for studies that explore reasons for an increased risk of readmission with certain types of services.