Complex Indications for Elderly Depressive Patients’ Hospitalization

Abstract

Background: the number of elderly depressive patients hospitalized in city psychiatric hospital, essentially shortens during the last years and is limited by the most severe cases. However significant part of the moderate depressions indicates the necessity to study justification of this tendency. The goal of this study: to examine the indications for hospitalization in full day mental hospital of elderly patients suffering with moderate depression. Patientsl and methods: material of the study consists of two groups of patients who under inpatient care in geriatric departments of Mental Health Research Centre. The first group (152 patients, examined in 2015–2017), has been studied by clinical method, and the other (23 patients, simultaneously been in clinic in May 7 and 8 2019) has been interviewed using a specially developed questionnaire. The goal of both methods was to clarify the goals of hospitalization. Results: collation of the clinical and demographic characteristics of both examined groups demonstrated their real identity. It proves that both groups represent typical contingent of elderly patients suffering with depression and receiving inpatient care in Mental Health Research Centre clinic. Therefore, the results of the questioning of the second group may be considered typical for this contingent. There were revealed two main reasons of hospitalization: inefficiency of outpatient treatment and patients’ personal wish for the inpatient treatment. It is important to note, that according to literature data, considering personal patient’s wish increases the possibility for gaining remission. Conclusion: both insufficient effectiveness of outpatient care and wish to be treated in the hospital are indications for hospitalization of elderly patients suffering with moderate depression. Ignoring these indications may cause the raise of number of patients with treatment resistant depression.