First psychiatric hospitalization in patients older than 65 years

Abstract

Introduction

Medical assistance for elderly people with mental health problems increases at the same time that life expectancy does.

Objectives

The aim of this work is to describe several demographic and clinical characteristics of elderly patients admitted for the first time to an acute inpatient psychiatry unit.

Methods

Observational, descriptive, and retrospective study from June 2013 to May 2015, where it is analysed patients older than 65 years admitted to the acute psychiatric ward of Hospital de Getafe in that period without psychiatric hospitalization in their personal background.

Results

Seventeen patients were included of a total of 428 patients admitted in that period (3.97%). Mean age: 70.7 ± 4.7. A total of 10 male (58.9%). The average stay in the studied group was 18.5 days, slightly lower than general average stay in that period (19.2 days). No psychiatric background was found in 4 patients. The most common diagnoses was depressive episode (5 patients) followed by manic episode (4 patients) and delusional disorder. Every of them but one, were taking at least one antipsychotic drug at discharge.

Conclusions

Elderly patients represent a low percentage of the total of patients admitted to an acute inpatient psychiatry unit. Many of them, despite having long-term ambulatory psychiatric follow-up, require a first psychiatric hospitalization after 65 years, as well as other patients begin their treatment in the mental health services in that hospitalization. It is noteworthy that antipsychotic drugs are used very commonly in those patients.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.