Impact of long-acting injectable antipsychotics vs. oral medication on relapses of patients with psychosis and bipolar disorder

Relapse associated with multiple hospital readmissions of patients with chronic and severe mental disorders, such as psychosis and bipolar disorder, is frequently associated with non-adherence to treatment. The primary aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of long-acting injectable (LAI) treatment, vs. oral medication in reducing readmissions of patients with psychotic or bipolar disorder in a community sample of 164 patients with psychosis and 29 patients with bipolar disorder (n = 193), with poor adherence to oral medication. The mean follow up period was 5.6 years and the number of readmissions were compared for an equal-length period of oral treatment preceding the onset of LAI administration. We observed a significant decrease of 45.2 % in total hospital readmissions after receiving LAIs treatment. The effect was significant both for patients with a pre-LAI treatment history of predominantly voluntary hospitalizations and with predominantly involuntary admissions. In addition, we observed equal effectiveness of first- vs. second-generation LAIs in reducing total hospital readmissions regardless of type of pre-treatment admission history (voluntary vs. involuntary). LAIs appear to be effective in reducing both voluntary and involuntary hospital readmissions in patients with psychosis and bipolar disorder with a history of poor adherence to treatment.

Determinants of compulsory admissions in a state psychiatric hospital-Case control study

OBJECTIVE

Compulsory admissions are against the patient's will and are presumably due to diverse reasons. There has been a rise in compulsory admissions world over. The objective of the study was to determine the risk factors for compulsory admissions in a state psychiatric hospital.

METHODS

A case control study was conducted at the state psychiatric hospital, Trivandrum, Kerala. Cases were involuntary non-legal admissions while controls were voluntary admissions. Putative risk factors studied included social support, severity of psychopathology etc., in addition to the socio-demographic variables.

RESULTS

Risk factors for compulsory admissions were higher age, 30-49 years, OR=1.98, 95% CI [1.03-3.81]; >50years, OR=2.2, 95% CI [1.03-4.72], being from an urban locale,OR=1.99, 95% CI [1.13-3.52], living in joint & extended families OR=2.12, 95% CI [1.3-3.4], homelessness OR=2.24, 95% CI [1.32-3.79] and poor social support, OR=4.45 [2.53-7.81]. The type of illness, its duration, diagnosis, or symptom severity were not significantly related to compulsory admissions, but past compulsory admissions OR=5.36, 95% CI [2.09-13.75], poor functioning OR=2.54, 95% CI [1.31-4.91] and poor compliance to medication OR=1.78, 95% CI [1.05-3.01] were associated with compulsory admission. Poor social support, past involuntary admissions and poor functional status retained their association after multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

By addressing the modifiable factors like poor social support, poor functional status, and poor compliance to medication, compulsory admissions could be prevented. Since it is found that compulsory admissions are likely to repeat, such patients form a high risk group requiring specific interventions.

Self-admission to inpatient treatment in psychiatry: lessons on implementation

BACKGROUND

Interest has increased in programs offering self-admission to inpatient treatment for patients with severe psychiatric illness, whereby patients who are well-known to a service are afforded the opportunity to admit themselves at will for a brief period of time. The aim of the present study was to examine patient experiences of practical considerations during the start-up phase of a self-admission program in an eating disorder service.

METHODS

Sixteen adult participants in a self-admission program at a specialist eating disorders service were interviewed at 6 months about their experiences during the implementation phase. A qualitative content analysis approach was applied in order to identify recurring themes.

RESULTS

Six subcategories regarding implementation and logistics of self-admission were identified: "Start-up problems", "Problems associated with reserving a bed", "Lack of staff continuity", "Not enough emphasis on long-term goals", "Too demanding in terms of freedom and responsibility", and "Suggestions for alternative models".

CONCLUSIONS

Practical recommendations can be offered for the implementation of future self-admission programs, such as thoroughly informing all participants about the rationale behind self-admission with particular emphasis on patient accountability, establishing a waiting list procedure for occasions when all designated beds are occupied, and assigning an individual contact staff member responsible for each self-admitted patient.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study protocol is retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as ID: NCT02937259 .