[Factors determining admission to psychiatric hospital in mentally retarded patients].

UNLABELLED

The aim of environmental model of psychiatric care, which is nowadays functioning in developed countries, is not only improve the quality of life of people with psychiatric disorders, among which there are mentally retarded patients, but also decrease the number and duration of psychiatric hospitalization. Mentally retarded patients have basically weaker adjustment abilities to changing conditions of the daylife routines, as well as they are more susceptible to psychiatric disorders than general population. Taking that into consideration it seems interesting to investigate the reasons of psychiatric hospitalization.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY

To investigate the reason of psychiatric hospitalization among mentally retarded patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The medical documentation of patients hospitalized in Babiriski's Hospital in Łódź (SPZOZ im.Babińskiego) in 2006 with diagnosis of mental retardation (F70-F79 according to ICD-10). The patients hospitalized throughout the year 2006 with comorbid psychiatric diagnosis as well as those with only stated mental retardation were taken into account. The analysis was based on questionnaire specially prepared for that paper. The results were statistically analyzed.

CONCLUSIONS

Analysis of results allowed to form the following conclusions: (1) The most frequent indirect reasons of psychiatric hospitalization were: aggression, appearance or worsening of psychotic symptoms, worsening or change of behavior. Directly hospitalizations were determined by environmental reasons among which conflicting relationships and lack of personal support were the most common. (2) Behavior and impulse disorders were the most frequently observed among men, psychotic disorders among women. Psychotic decompensations were the most frequent at mentally retarded in light degree, behavior disorders among severe mentally retarded. 3) The occurrence of psychiatric disorders which determine psychiatric hospitalization is mainly the consequence of adverse environment factors and difficulties in adjustment to them.