Sociodemographic factors and military psychiatric hospitalization

This study of race, rank, and psychiatric hospitalization was conducted to provie more information about the impact of social class factors on military inpatient treatment. A retrospective review of the charts of all commissioned officers admitted over a 16-month period along with control groups of airmen and sergeants matche for time of admission was undertaken at a large military training center. Groups were compared on sociodemographic variables (age, race, rank, sex, marital status, length of service, and education background) as well aa clinical variables (referral source, chief complaint, diagnosis, length of stay, and outcome). The implications of briefer hospitalizations for the youngest group of patients (the airmen) are discussed. The over-representation of black enlisted soldiers as psychiatric patients and organizational means of rectifying this situation are discussed.