OBJECTIVES: Length of hospital stay (LOS) is the time between admission and discharge. Several risk factors can influence the LOS for psychiatric hospitalized patients, adherance, pharmacogenetic guiding and others. Ethnicity can affect the LOS by altering the response to medication. The crucial demand of reducing the length of stay is directly affecting the cost associated with longer stay, besides increasing the efficiency of the system. The association between being Latino and the LOS in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder was investigated.

METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, a secondary data analysis using the CYP-GUIDES trial. The cases n=382 in Latino arm versus n=1117 in the control arm. Cases and controls were both matched for ethnicity with a 1:3 ratio on the exposure prevalence. Pearson’s chi square was used for analysis besides, subgroup analysis was performed to adjust for age and gender. Data on ethnicity were collected from the participants at the admission using electronic medical records. Data were analysed by STATA, with Odds ratio and 95% CI and P-Value.

RESULTS: The mean LOS was 138 hours, values > 138, were defined as a long hospital stay and values < 138, as a shorter stay. Chi square result (P-value of 0.00). Logistic regression results were: OR for Latino ethnicity 0.596 (95% CI 0.47-0.75), (P-value=0.00) thus, decreasing the LOS by almost 50%. After adjusting for age, gender, OR= 0.60, 95% CI (0.47-0.76), (P-value=0.00) for Latino ethnicity, OR=0.976, 95% CI (0.96-0.98), (P-value=0.00) for age, which was approaching to one and, OR=0.715, 95% CI (0.58-0.88), (P-value=0.002) for female which is almost have an 30% reduction on the length of stay.

CONCLUSIONS: In hospitalized in patients with major depressive disorder, Latino ethnicity may affect the length of hospital stay to be shorter. however, other variables like age, gender can influence the results. Thus warranted a further randomized trial.