<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><xml><records><record><source-app name="HighWire" version="7.x">Drupal-HighWire</source-app><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">AbuMadini, Mahdi S.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Rahim, Sheik I.</style></author></authors><secondary-authors></secondary-authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Psychiatric admission in a general hospital: Patients profile and patterns of service utilization over a decade</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Neurosciences Journal</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2002</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2002-01-01 00:00:00</style></date></pub-dates></dates><pages><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">36-42</style></pages><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">7</style></volume><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1</style></issue><abstract><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">OBJECTIVE: To analyze the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of admitted patients and the patterns of their service utilization over a decade from March 1988 to March 1998.METHODS: Prospective data compilation using a structured questionnaire, hospital records and follow-up observations at King Fahd Hospital of the University in Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.RESULTS: A total of 1366 patients (683 of each sex) had 2217 admissions in 10 years. By the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition criteria, 19.5% had schizophrenia, 15.2% bipolar disorder, 9.9% depressive episodes, 8.6% acute and transient psychotic disorders, 7.7% adjustment disorders and 7.6% dissociative disorders. Males were more frequently admitted for schizophrenia and females for mood and anxiety disorders. Most non-Arab expatriates were diagnosed as acute and transient psychotic, stress-related or dissociative disorders. Re-hospitalizations constituted 28% of all admissions. The mean length of stay was 25 days per admission and 41 days per patient. The overall bed occupancy rate was 84.9%. A subgroup of 16.9% of patients, mostly with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, consumed 62.3% of the bed occupancy.CONCLUSION: Gender and immigration were the main determinants of variance in patient characteristics, nosological distribution and pattern of service use. More beds are needed. Psycho-educational programs should be intensified to reduce the social stigma and societal intolerance to mental patients. Active family involvement improves compliance and might reduce re-hospitalization rates. Heavy service consumers should be transferred to long-stay facilities.</style></abstract></record></records></xml>