A Descriptive Study on the Factors Influencing Readmission of Mentally Ill Adults at Chainama Hills College Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

Introduction: Mental illness is becoming a worldwide concern with at least one in four persons suffering from mental illness in both developed and developing countries. Mental illnesses account for about 14% of the disease burden worldwide and are projected to reach 15% in the future. Readmission to psychiatric wards of patients is one of the biggest challenges in the field of psychiatry and hence reduces the quality of life of individual patients as well as increasing the years of lost life of the patients. Objective: This research aims at determining the factors influencing the readmission of mentally ill adults at Chainama Hills College Hospital (CHCH), Lusaka, Zambia. Method: This was a quantitative cross-sectional study with a sampling of 94 patients, who seek service at CHCH. The data collection was done through a validated questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic characteristics of patients, health facility factors associated with the readmission of psychiatric patients, and patient-related factors associated with the readmission of mental patients.  Data were analyzed and processed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Results: The analysis and presentation of results in this research provide relevant evidence that can be used to meet the objective of this research. The results were presented with a 5% level of significance and 95% confidence. The Pearson Chi-square test was used with a (p-value of 0.232). These results have revealed there was no significant difference between the factors influencing the readmission of mentally ill adults. Conclusion: No socio-demographic, factor was found to be strongly associated with readmission of psychiatric adult patients. Single, and unemployed patients were more frequently readmitted than the patients from other social groups. The young patients were readmitted more often than elders. Adult patients who stayed near the health facility were more likely to be readmitted than those who stayed far away. Stress had some association with readmissions.