Admissions to the state hospital: a one-year study

Admission to one of the state hospitals in West Virginia is gained through a legal proceeding which is initiated on a county level. It was hypothesized that involuntary psychiatric admission patterns from the Sharpe Hospital catchment area do not have a direct correlation with county population.

Sharpe Hospital admissions data for a one year period were collected and demographic data from counties within the hospital catchment area was obtained for comparison.

Involuntary psychiatric admissions from the Sharpe Hospital catchment area do not correlate directly with county population, supporting the hypothesis that factors besides county population explain differences in admission patterns. Socioeconomic status, diversion of admissions to other hospitals and proximity to the state hospital do not fully explain the differences.

Rates of admission were found to vary widely from counties in the Sharpe Hospital catchment area. Local evaluation and treatment variables and patient-specific factors such as diagnosis, comorbid substance dependence, and psychiatric history warrant further study to guide planning