Analysis of readmissions to a community mental health center

This paper presents and discusses data on the readmissions experience of a community-based psychiatric treatment facility. Nearly one-half of all patients experienced readmission within four years. Further, the admission, treatment, and discharge of a cohort of admissions represents roughly onehalf of the treatmenteffort which will be absorbed by that cohort within four years. The resulting finding is that the treatment of old patients consumes increasing amounts of space, money, and manpower, thus blocking access of new applicants to treatment. A differentiation of readmissions is proposed, intended to permit more effective evaluative use of readmissions experience.