Risk of Inpatient Stay for Mental Illness Among Individuals With Substance Use Disorders

Objective: Whereas most studies of inpatient stay for mental illness examine whether substance use is present, this study identified types or combinations of abused substances that most increased hospitalization risk. Methods: Logistic regression of data from the 2007 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (N=37,654) was used to predict past-year hospitalization of individuals with DSM-IV substance use disorders. Results: Even after the inclusion of control variables, adults with four types of substance abuse or dependence were more likely to be hospitalized than adults without substance abuse or dependence. High-risk disorders included abuse of or dependence on opioid analgesics (odds ratio [OR]=6.85, p<.001), cocaine (OR=2.65, p<.05), alcohol and cocaine (OR=2.58, p<.05), and alcohol and marijuana (OR=3.10, p<.01). Conclusions: Researchers examining inpatient stays may find it beneficial to look at abuse of specific substances or combinations of substances, and efforts to prevent inpatient stays could target people with high-risk substance use disorders. (Psychiatric Services 63:938-941, 2012; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201100455)