Symptoms and hospitalization decisions

On the basis of semistructured evaluations of all new patients presenting for care during a 1-year period at a comprehensive psychiatric facility, the authors systematically assessed the relationship between various aspects of the patients' symptoms and hospitalization decisions. The individual symptoms correlating the highest with hospitalization were self-neglect, disorganized thought process, and impulsivity. Even greater correlations, in increasing order, were obtained for the total number of symptoms present, for delusional psychosis (one of the broad factors underlying the patient's symptoms), and for a linear combination composed of self-neglect, impulsivity, suspiciousness, and suicidal indicators.