This is a paper from 1994 which has since been cited close to 200 times. [1]
The authors critically reviewed 26 international and American outcome studies that assessed the effect of psychiatric comorbidity on length of stay for medical/surgical inpatients. Eighty-nine per cent of all studies with sample sizes greater than 110 and 75% of the prospective, rigorously controlled, American studies found a significant association between psychiatric comorbidity and increased length of stay. The findings lead to the conclusion impaired cognition, depressed mood, and other psychiatric comorbidities contribute to prolonged hospital stays and greater utilization of hospitals and other health resources after discharge.
1 Saravay SM, lavin M. Psychiatric Comorbidity and Length of Stay in the General Hospital: A Critical Review of Outcome Studies. Psychosomatics 1994;35:233–52. doi:10.1016/S0033-3182(94)71772-2
