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Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 6/2007

01-06-2007 | ORIGINAL PAPER

Social predictors of out-patient mental health contact in schizophrenia patients

Authors: Berta Moreno, Beatriz Arroyo, Francisco Torres-González, Juan de Dios Luna, Jorge Cervilla

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 6/2007

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Abstract

Introduction

Since community-based health care was introduced, the use of mental health services by patients with serious mental disorders has been an issue of much interest. However, our knowledge of intervening factors is both scarce and partial.

Objective

To study socio-demographic variables which may predict time-lapse (in days) between each out-patient contact among a cohort of schizophrenia patients.

Method

Data comes from the South Granada Schizophrenia Case Register. We used Cox’s regression analysis to study the influence of the socio-demographic variables in the time lapsed between out-patient contacts.

Results

After adjusting for all other socio-demographic variables included, we found that to live in a rural area and being younger independently predicted a longer time-lapse between out-patient contacts while being retired predicted a shorter interval between such contacts. Other variables such as sex, educational level and marital status did not determine such length between out-patients contacts.

Conclusion

Socio-demographic variables, and not only psychopathological ones, determine mental health out-patient service use.
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Metadata
Title
Social predictors of out-patient mental health contact in schizophrenia patients
Authors
Berta Moreno
Beatriz Arroyo
Francisco Torres-González
Juan de Dios Luna
Jorge Cervilla
Publication date
01-06-2007
Publisher
D. Steinkopff-Verlag
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 6/2007
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0187-y

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