Matthäus Fellinger1, Thomas Waldhör2, Victor Blüml3, Nolan Williams4, Benjamin Vyssoki5. 1. Clinical Division of Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. 2. Center for Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: thomas.waldhoer@meduniwien.ac.at. 3. Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. 4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, USA. 5. Clinical Division of Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The influence of gender on inpatient treatment patterns in bipolar patients is unclear. The aim of this study is to examine whether differences in length of stay and frequency of inpatient episodes, according to ICD-10 bipolar disorder (BD)-subgroups, exist between men and women. METHODS: All episodes of a manic (F31.0-2), depressive (F31.3-5) or mixed (F31.6) subtype of BD during an inpatient stay in an Austrian hospital in the period of 2001-2014 were included in this study. Data on episodes was provided by the national statistics agency. Weekly admission rates per 100,000 people were calculated by directly age-standardized rates. RESULTS: The database comprised 60,607 admissions (35.8% men). The number of inpatient episodes was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in women in all BD subgroups. Average length of stay in manic (p < 0.001) and depressive (p < 0.001) episodes was shorter in women compared to men. No difference could be found for mixed episodes. LIMITATIONS: Only aggregated patient data and no single case histories were available for this study. CONCLUSIONS: The current study reveals relevant gender differences regarding inpatient treatment patterns, as women were overrepresented in all BD-subgroups. Despite equal life time prevalence, severe mood episodes lead more often to hospitalisations in women. There is a high necessity to further research the underlying causes of these findings.
BACKGROUND: The influence of gender on inpatient treatment patterns in bipolarpatients is unclear. The aim of this study is to examine whether differences in length of stay and frequency of inpatient episodes, according to ICD-10 bipolar disorder (BD)-subgroups, exist between men and women. METHODS: All episodes of a manic (F31.0-2), depressive (F31.3-5) or mixed (F31.6) subtype of BD during an inpatient stay in an Austrian hospital in the period of 2001-2014 were included in this study. Data on episodes was provided by the national statistics agency. Weekly admission rates per 100,000 people were calculated by directly age-standardized rates. RESULTS: The database comprised 60,607 admissions (35.8% men). The number of inpatient episodes was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in women in all BD subgroups. Average length of stay in manic (p < 0.001) and depressive (p < 0.001) episodes was shorter in women compared to men. No difference could be found for mixed episodes. LIMITATIONS: Only aggregated patient data and no single case histories were available for this study. CONCLUSIONS: The current study reveals relevant gender differences regarding inpatient treatment patterns, as women were overrepresented in all BD-subgroups. Despite equal life time prevalence, severe mood episodes lead more often to hospitalisations in women. There is a high necessity to further research the underlying causes of these findings.
Authors: Ruth Cunningham; Marie Crowe; James Stanley; Tracy Haitana; Suzanne Pitama; Richard Porter; Jo Baxter; Tania Huria; Roger Mulder; Mau Te Rangimarie Clark; Cameron Lacey Journal: BJPsych Open Date: 2020-11-06