Length of hospital stay and health services use of medical inpatients with comorbid noncognitive mental disorders: a review of the literature

The 15 studies that were restricted to service use during index admission showed mixed results: length of hospital stay was related to common mental disorders in some studies, but other studies did not find such an association. The eight studies that used a longer observation period showed findings that are more consistent. They demonstrated mainly that symptoms or complaints of depression are related to a higher resource use within general medical services.