The Cognitive Disorders Unit carries out sessions of Psychoeducational Groups (PG) for caregivers of patients diagnosed with cognitive impairment (CI). The aim is to educate about the disease, improve the caregiver’s self-care and learn how to take better care of the sick.

Analyze the profile of the caregivers that participate in PG and assess changes in their psychological state.

Subjects: 110 caregivers of patients diagnosed with mild-moderate CI who have participated in PG. Methodology: sociodemographic data of the caregiver and patient are collected. The following scales are passed: General-Health-Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Global-Deterioration-Scale, Barthel-Index. 5 sessions of 90 minutes are carried out every fortnight. An opinion questionnaire and the GHQ-12 are administered at the end of the sessions.

86% of caregivers are women: 37% spouses and 55% daughters; mean age 57; 92% of patients live with the caregiver. 62% of caregivers present some kind of psychological disorder that is significantly reduced (p=0,0003) after some sessions. After PG: 65% of caregivers are able to further enjoy their daily activities 46% improve concentration capacity 42% improve sleeping and mood. Opinion Questionnaire Results: 98% of caregivers are satisfied with the activities, the topics addressed and their applicability.

The participants in PG were mostly daughters of patients, with average age 57, and living in the same household. Participation in PG improves the information and skills of caregivers, and reduces psychological disorders by improving their mood, their ability to concentrate, their quality of sleep and enjoyment of daily activities.

Depression is a disabling disorder with a high socio-economic impact. It might require hospitalization for symptom control and/or harm prevention. Other depressive disorders might as well require hospitalization in benefit of the patient. Hospitalization may be involuntary. Hospitalization willfulness in depressive patients has not been systematically studied in recent years.

The aim of this study is to explore the necessity of involuntary hospitalization in patients presenting depressive symptoms at the emergency service that were later diagnosed with a depressive disorder.

From all patients visited in the psychiatric emergency service from 2012 to April 2015 those that were hospitalized in the acute mental health unit and diagnosed with a depressive disorder were studied. All those monopolar depression diagnoses were considered, excluding those within the bipolar spectrum. Diagnosis followed CIE-9 criteria. A descriptive cross-sectional study of the samples was then conducted. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Ill.).

From all 385 depressive disorders, 169 were involuntary admissions (43.9%), 196 were voluntary (50.9%) and 20 were scheduled (5.2%), difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Mean age, was 59.52 years for involuntary admissions, 61.7 for voluntary and 63.6 years for scheduled, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). Gender differences were not significant.

Most depressive disorders were hospitalized voluntarily. However, a relevant percentage of patients required involuntary hospitalization. Younger patients presented a higher ratio of involuntary hospitalization. Reasons for involuntary hospitalization needs should be further studied.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest. Liliana Galindo is a Rio Hortega fellowship (ISC-III; CM14/00111).

Involuntary admissions continue to be a controversial topic in psychiatry. However, it is well known that psychosocial rehabilitation treatment is more successful when the patient is involved in it improving awareness and adherence to treatment.

This study examined admissions patterns, including voluntary, involuntary, and partly voluntary admissions to a subacute psychiatric hospital.

This is a transversal study. All patients admitted for a medium-term psychiatric treatment since 01/06/2014 to 30/11/2015 were included. Patients's basic sociodemographic and clinical data were collected and compiled in a database. Descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS Software.

A total of 88 patients (52% men; mean age: 48.6 years) composed the sample. In 58% of cases, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder were the diagnoses motivating the admission. Among 88 patients, 44 (50%) had voluntary admissions, 16 (18.2%) had involuntary admissions, 27 (30.7%) had partly voluntary admissions and just one patient (1.1%) had partly involuntary admissions. Seventy-one (80.1%) patients had voluntary admissions at discharge, and only one of them escape from hospital and did not finish the treatment.

In the short term involuntary hospitalization has benefits, however also can have adverse long-term consequences for the patient-therapist allegiance, breaking the psychotherapeutic relationship and making the patient abandon treatment. It's important to reassess the condition of admission and work with the patient the need to engage in treatment.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.