Rate and Predictors of 1-year Readmission in Tertiary Psychiatric Hospitals

OBJECTIVE: To obtain the rate of 1-year readmission among psychiatric patients in tertiary centers in Oman and to study the association between readmission and sociodemographic and clinical factors. METHODS: This is a retrospective study using data from patients' medical records. All patients aged ≥18 years who were admitted to Al Masarra Hospital and the psychiatric ward at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital over a 6-month period were included in the study. Each patient was followed up for 1 year after discharge to determine whether they had been readmitted during that period. The analysis was conducted as a comparative study between patients with early readmission and those who had not been readmitted during the 1-year period. Fifteen factors were examined for association with readmission within the 1-year period. RESULTS: A total of 466 patients were admitted to the two hospitals during the study period, with 39% of these patients readmitted within 1 year. The univariate analysis revealed that 11 factors were significantly associated with 1-year readmission (P < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified four factors as independent significant predictors for 1-year rehospitalization: male gender, unemployment, nonadherence to medications and a history of previous hospitalization. CONCLUSION: The rate of 1-year readmission was found to be high, in line with the findings of other studies. Specific sociodemographic factors and clinical factors were strongly associated with early readmission in psychiatric hospitals in Oman. Strategies for aftercare and community psychiatric services need to be implemented.