“Revolving Door Syndrome” is usually defined as a cyclical pattern of short-term readmissions to the psychiatric units of health care centers, by young adults with chronic psychiatric disorders. Concerning the actual politics in health care sistems, with sucessive budget cuts and reduction of full-time hospital beds, the authors’ aim has been to identify the patients that enter into a vicious circle of being admitted to hospital, discharged, and admitted again, as well as the underlying psychosocial reasons.

The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with short-term readmissions to psychiatric acute care services, with statistical significance, and clinical interest, within a portuguese sample.

Retrospective cohort study, in which the medical records of patients admitted to Coimbra University Hospitals two or more times (with short-term readmissions) between January and December of 2009, were analysed for socio-demographic characteristics, psychiatric diagnostic, presence of comorbidities, number of hospital admissions within that year, psychofarmacological treatments and presence of social and familiar support.

The authors found that lack of social and familiar support is a strong predictor for “Revolving Door Syndrome”, as well as the presence of a chronic psychiatric disorder.