Factors Associated with Length of Stay in Psychiatric Inpatients with Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a lifelong mental disorder with a variable course, comprising one of the primary psychiatric illnesses warranting hospitalization due to its recurrent and chronic nature. Despite the existence of extensive evidence regarding factors influencing psychiatric hospitalization duration, limited scientific evidence establishes the duration of psychiatric hospitalization in patients with BD. The objective of this study is to assess the clinical characteristics and factors influencing the duration of hospital stay in patients with BD. This is a retrospective observational and descriptive study. The protocol was approved by the ethics and research committee of the Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio Gonzalez” in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México under the name "Factores predictores del tiempo de hospitalización psiquiátrica en pacientes con trastorno bipolar". Retrospective investigation was carried out of patients admitted between July 2015 and May 2022. Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of 276 patients diagnosed with BD type 1 and type 2 were collected. Descriptive analyses were conducted for all variables using frequencies and percentages for categorical variables. Typical dispersion measures were applied to quantitative variables. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare means between groups for dichotomous variables, and the Kruskal-Wallis test for variables with more than two categories. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used for quantitative variables. Statistically significant values were considered at p < 0.05. Factors associated with longer hospital stay included younger age (p < 0.001), being separated or divorced (p = 0.002), unemployment (x=27.94 vs. x=23.77; p=0.12), absence of medical comorbidity (x=27.21 vs. x=20.73; p=0.11), previous hospitalization history (x=28.50 vs. x=23.26; p=0.005), history of substance abuse (x=28.55 vs. 24.68; p=0.26), use of pharmacological restraint (p=0.28), and non-use of mood stabilizers during hospitalization (x=27.54 vs. x=24.11; p=0.27). Overall, this study highlights the significance of comprehensive and personalized treatment approaches for patients with bipolar disorder. By addressing specific risk factors and optimizing therapeutic strategies, healthcare professionals can potentially reduce the length of hospital stays, leading to improved patient well-being and resource utilization within psychiatric care facilities. However, further research and intervention studies are warranted to validate and implement these findings in clinical practice. Funding No Funding