Predictors of Inpatient Care in a 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Registered in an Outpatient Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program

AbstractThe intensity of the treatment need for substance use disorders (SUD) varies across individuals and time. Under-treatment leads to poor outcome, and over-treatment increases the cost of care. The present study aimed to determine the predictors for inpatient treatment within the first 6  months of registration in an outpatient treatment program. This was a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients registered in a multi-disciplinary outpatient treatment program between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2018, and followed-up at least for 6 months. In the initial 6 months, 407 (15.67%) out of 2597 patients were admitted for inpatient care. The clinical characteristics independently predicting inpatient treatment were absence of maintenance pharmacotherapy (p <  0.001; OR: 3.375; 95% CI: 2.38–4.77), heroin use and injection opioid use (p = 0.001; OR: 1.924; 95% CI: 1.311–2.823 andp = 0.050; OR: 1.635; 95% CI: 1.000–2.673, respectively), presence of co-occurring common mental disorders (p = 0.031; OR: 1.987; 95% CI: 1.065–3.708), severe mental illness (p = .009; OR = 1.727; 95% CI: 1.144–2.605), and greater number and duration of substance use (p = 0.009; OR: 1.303; 95% CI: 1.068–1.591 andp <  0.001; OR: 1.003; 95% CI: 1.002–1.005, respectively). Other clinical and demographic factors that were associated with a higher risk of transition from outpatient to inpatient treatment were unemployment, urban residence,...

Source: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction - November 15, 2021 Category: Addiction Source Type: research