Inpatient rehabilitation after acute injury or illness for patients with and without mental health disorders: service utilization, functional improvement, and pain.
Anja S Sundet, Solveig L Hauger, Ingrid A Havnes and 8 others
PMID 42702964WHAT IT FOUND
Inpatients with mental health disorders made similar functional gains and were equally satisfied, but reported more pain, used more opioids on discharge, cancelled more physiotherapy, and required far more team coordination and nurse time.
Key findings
01Patients with mental health disorders had comparable functional independence gains and satisfaction with care as those without.
02They reported higher pain levels, were 6 times more likely to say pain interfered with rehab, and were 4.5 times more likely to use opioids on discharge.
03Nurses and team coordinators found caring for them much more demanding, and they cancelled more physiotherapy sessions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is observational, so it cannot prove that mental health disorders caused these outcomes; other factors like personality or medical complications may be involved. The sample size was small (130 total), and the group with mental health disorders was heterogeneous (anxiety, depression, substance use combined), so results may not apply to specific diagnoses. Assessments of role demands and adherence were subjective and not validated measures. The study was conducted in a single specialized hospital in Norway with embedded psychology services, so findings may not generalize to other healthcare systems. Data collection occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have influenced stress levels and resource availability.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The research was funded by the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority and the DAM Foundation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that patients with mental health disorders make less functional progress. The study found that their gains in functional independence and their satisfaction with care were comparable to those without mental health disorders, even though they required more resources and had more pain.