The dynamics of psychiatric bed use in general hospitals

This study examines general hospitals' adjustments in psychiatric bed utilization practices in response to increases in psychiatric inpatient admissions. Using panel data from 439 hospitals, monthly observations (N = 7,831) between 2007 and 2010 on psychiatric admissions, psychiatric bed occupancy rates, and average length-of-stay were created for psychiatric inpatients. In fixed-effects regressions, an increase in psychiatric admissions was associated with an increase in the probability of psychiatric bed use exceeding 100 % occupancy and with a reduction of mean length-of-stay. These results were confirmed in instrumental variables models. General hospitals may dynamically adjust bed utilization practices in response to changing psychiatric bed needs. An implication of this dynamic adjustment model is that bed shortages are likely to be local, transitory events.