Prediction of psychiatric rehospitalization among a predominantly Hispanic population receiving services at a community mental health center

The predictive validity of important variables identified in a meta-analysis of psychiatric rehospitalization (Ramirez, Wood & Hosch, 2000) was tested in a predominantly Hispanic sample of chronically mentally ill people. The case files of 207 patients receiving services at a community mental health center were reviewed to measure the predictor variables and psychiatric rehospitalizations for a three-year follow-up period. The best predictors of rehospitalization were the number of prior hospitalizations (r = .27, p \u3c .001) and compliance with medication and treatment during the six months following discharge from a psychiatric hospitalization ( r = −.24, p \u3c .001). Additionally, Hispanics had fewer rehospitalizations (M = 1.3, SD = 1.8) than non-Hispanic whites (M = 2.3, SD = 2.4): t (197) = 2.53, p \u3c .01. Future researchers should: (a) improve the reliability of the measurement of predictors, and use different definitions and techniques to measure crucial predictors; (b) use stress-coping frameworks to study if patients\u27 patterns of adjustment to the community are related to the number of prior hospitalizations or to rehospitalization; and (c) study psychiatric rehospitalization differences between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites