Admission Histories, Patterns, and Subgroups of the Heavy Users of State Psychiatric Hospital

This study attempts to determine the characteristics & patterns of frequent users of a state psychiatric centre. The autors found that patients who used services were often either retained in the hospital for extended periods, or upon discharge had more than 1 post-index admission. They also found that many had never been married, & many were substance abusers. The implications of these results, both theoretical & practical, are discussed. (VM)