The Revolving Door Phenomenon in an Italian Acute Psychiatric Ward: A 5-Year Retrospective Analysis of the Potential Risk Factors

To highlight the revolving door (RD) phenomenon in an acute psychiatric ward, we retrospectively identified the patients hospitalized three or more times in a calendar year from 1/1/2009 to 31/12/2013 as RD patients (RDP). We collected sociodemographic and clinical variables of RDP and statistically analyzed the potential RD risk factors. We divided RDP into high and extremely high utilizers and evaluated the variables related to more frequent readmissions. RDP represented 5.68% of all patients and their hospitalizations (RDH) 25% of all admissions. The statistically significant risk factors for all RDH were disability pension, substance abuse/dependence, mild/severe aggressiveness, and psychiatric and social rehabilitative programs. The comparison between high and extremely high utilizers showed that manic episodes and personality disorders, among the diagnoses, familial relational conflicts and violence/suicidality, among the hospitalization reasons, were statistically significant risk factors for more frequent readmissions. RD phenomenon was greatly affected by severe clinical conditions with social disability.