Psycho-social determinants for psychiatric hospitalisation for neurotic disorders in women

Background: Much has been written about the determinants of psychiatric hospitalisation, chiefly for psychotic patients in an emergency. This paper reports the results of a comparative study between in-patients and pathological subjects from the general population. The aim of this work is to evidence the psycho-social determinants of hospitalisation in a psychiatric department for neurotic disorders. Methods: This study was conducted on a socially fairly privileged population which was, therefore, also fairly homogeneous. The subjects from the two groups were assessed clinically using standardised instruments both for diagnosis (SCAN) and for psycho-social variables (Stressful Life Events: LEDS; Social Support and Self-esteem: Pearlin checklist; care itinerary). Results: Following the analysis of frequency and a multivariate logistic regression analysis, four risk factors for hospitalisation for neurotic disorders were evidenced, including: severity of neurotic disorders, taking a long time to consult a specialist after first onset of anxiety disorders, poor social support, and having experienced one or more provoking agents (Brown and Harris methodology) in the year previous to hospitalisation. Conclusion: The severity of the mental pathology is largely responsible for hospitalisation in neurotic patients as it is in psychotic patients, but it is not the only determinant for hospitalisation. Accepted: 1 December 2002