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Demographic and social correlates of psychogeriatric hospitalization

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Summary

A sample of 100 psychogeriatric admissions to three Toronto hospitals was studied and compared demographically to the population aged 65 and over in the catchment area from which the patients were drawn. The aim of the epidemiological investigation was the definition of social groups at high risk for admission to hospital as psychogeriatric patients. Results showed that these high risk groups include separated and widowed men, elderly persons living alone, residents of old age and nursing homes, and women with smaller than average families. The findings support the hypothesis that social isolation tends to lead to institutional admission. The implications of these findings for primary and secondary prevention and for planning health care services are considered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Canada

    H. E. Ross & H. B. Kedward

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  1. H. E. Ross
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  2. H. B. Kedward
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Ross, H.E., Kedward, H.B. Demographic and social correlates of psychogeriatric hospitalization. Soc Psychiatry 11, 121–126 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00579310

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00579310

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