In order to investigate the clinical factors and the treatment outcomes in relation to the duration
of hospitalization, the author studied retrostectively the 197 short-hospitalized (less than one
month) and 86 long-hospitalized (more than three mon...
In order to investigate the clinical factors and the treatment outcomes in relation to the duration
of hospitalization, the author studied retrostectively the 197 short-hospitalized (less than one
month) and 86 long-hospitalized (more than three months) schizophrenic inpatients for the last five
years in Busan National University Hospital.
The results were summarized as follow s;
1. Proportion o f long term hospitalization stead ily increased for the last five years.
The shorthospitalized cases were about 20 percent of all during last two years.
2. There were no significant differences between the short-term and long-term groups in demographic
characteristics such as age distribution, marital status and education. But the number of
male cases was about twice of the female.
3. No significant differences were found in both duration of illness and chief complaints between
the two groups.
4. In long-term group, the purpose of admission was mainly for the treatment but for the diagnostic
purpose short-term group was hospitalized.
5. Almost all cases with acute episode were: short-hospitalized and no significant differences
were noted in other subtypes of schizophrenia between the two groups.
6. For the majority of the short-term patients, the admission at the time of the study was either
the first or second one.
7. No significant differences were noted in the rates of readmission between the two groups.
8. T he methods of treatment were pharmacotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, group psychotherapy,
psychodrama in almost all long-hospitalized cases.
9. The improved rates were 91.86% in long-term group.
10. Factors affecting the duration of hospitalization were the need for diagnotic certificat, poor
understanding of the family about the disorder, economic difficulty and therapist’ s capacity of
acceptance in short-term group and persistant symptom and electroconvulsive therapy in the
longt-erm group.