Length of stay on a short-term unit.

In this retrospective study of length of stay (LOS) and outcome on a general hospital unit, utilizing analysis of variance techniques, the authors found institutional, psychiatric, and economic factors significantly related to LOS. Patients with diagnosis of major mental illness and lower scores on The Global Assessment Scale tended to stay longer and improve more. The involvement of a private (versus staff or clinic) psychiatrist and a history of previous hospitalization were also significant, when controlled for other variables. These findings are discussed in relation to previous research showing the advantages of a brief LOS.