This is a literature review from 2005. [1]
23 studies on the association between non-cognitive psychiatric diseases and the use of general health care services by medical patients admitted to a general hospital were analysed. Only studies with a prospective design and with a correction for possible confounding factors were included. In most studies, only service use during index admission was observed, but eight studies included a longer observation period during follow-up after hospital discharge. The 15 studies that were restricted to service use during index admission showed mixed results: length of hospital stay was related to common mental disorders in some studies, but other studies did not find such an association. The eight studies that used a longer observation period showed findings that are more consistent. They demonstrated that depression was related to higher resource use within general medical services.
1 Koopmans GT, Donker MCH, Rutten FHH. Length of hospital stay and health services use of medical inpatients with comorbid noncognitive mental disorders: A review of the literature. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2005;27:44–56. doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2004.09.008
