P-622 - Socio-demographic and clinical differences according to gender in psychiatric inpatients

Abstract

Introduction: Previous epidemiological studies clearly demonstrated gender differences in the patterns of mental illness. As a matter of fact, female suffer more from depressive and anxiety disorders, while male suffer more from addictive behaviour and psychotic disorders. Objectives/aims: The present study was elaborated by the Psychiatric Department Quality Commission of the Coimbra University Hospital in order to identify gender differences in socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients that were hospitalized from January to June 2011. Methods: We analyzed 417 clinical files and gathered socio-demographic information (gender, age, marital status and job) and clinical information (diagnosis and hospitalization's length). Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS program, using the chi-square's and Mann-Whitney's tests. Results: 53% of the inpatients were women. It was also observed that women were older (p = 0.021), more frequently married and widowed (p < 0.001), were less associated with compulsory admission (p < 0.001), had shorter hospitalizations (p = 0.024) and were more often diagnosed with adjustment reaction and bipolar disorder (p < 0.001), while men were younger (p < 0.001), more frequently single (p < 0.001), more frequently unemployed (p < 0.001), were more subject to compulsory admission (p < 0.001) and were more often diagnosed with addictive disorders and schizophrenia. Conclusions: These results are consistent with the existing literature and enable us to organize the services'conditions according to the needs of our psychiatric inpatient population.