1420 – Patient's Language Proficiency And Inpatient Depression Treatment

Abstract

Objective

To analyze process and outcome quality of inpatient depression treatment depending on German language proficiency.

Method

Documentation of patients in 24 psychiatric hospitals in Baden-Württemberg (South Germany). The following three groups were matched according to age, gender, and education: native German speakers, non-native speakers with good German proficiency, and non-native speakers with limited German proficiency (67 in each group).

Results

Germans received more group psychotherapy than the other two groups (p = .003). No differences were found regarding pharmacotherapy. Non-native speakers with limited German proficiency were discharged an average of 19 days earlier than German speakers and 7 days earlier than non-native speakers with good German proficiency (p = .02). Compared to Germans, twice as many non-native patients with good German proficiency and nearly four times as many patients with limited German proficiency were discharged with depressive symptoms (p = .006).

Conclusion

Results confirm the significance of linguistic factors for the effectiveness of treatment of depressive patients and show a direct impact of linguistic factors on length of hospitalization.