Factors affecting relapse in patients discharged from a public hospital: results from survival analysis

This study examined the effects of demographics, personal resources, and psychiatric characteristics on relapse risk in patients discharged from two state facilities. Data on 2,002 first admissions to an Oklahoma state hospital and an associated CMHC during a single year, and information on readmissions of these patients to any of the seven state facilities providing inpatient treatment for an additional two years were collected. Data were analyzed by survival analysis with the Cox regression model. Out of the different demographic, social and psychiatric variables, the patients' diagnosis, length of index hospitalization and level of functioning at discharge as well as interaction of employment status and living status and interaction of age and living status were significantly related to relapse rate. These findings are discussed in the context of previous research.