Predictors of involuntary hospitalisation of patients suffering from schizophrenia

Involuntary hospitalisation (IH) of patients with mental disorders is a controversial, but in some cases necessary medical procedure. Patients diagnosed with a schizophrenic disorder are increasingly hospitalised against their will compared to other psychiatric patients. We still do not know enough about what are the factors that make some patients suffering from schizophrenia more prone to IH than others. The goal of the study was to identify predictors for IH of patients suffering from schizophrenia. In this clinical observational study, the case-control group of cases was comprised by a consecutive sample of 50 patients involuntarily hospitalised at the Clinic for Mental Disorders “Dr Laza Lazarevic” in Belgrade. The control group consisted of a sample of 100 voluntarily hospitalised patients, chosen by a random selection method from the entire population of voluntarily hospitalised patients in the same time period, matched with cases according to sex and age. Groups were compared on the basis of sociodemographic, clinical and medical case history variables. The study showed that higher education of patients suffering from schizophrenia, previous IHs, shorter duration of illness, psychoactive substance abuse, and non-compliance were the predictors of IH. Identification of IH predictors has great significance for the organisation of the health service and improvement of patient treatment.