Journal of psychosomatic research
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This study evaluates the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) structure using a Rasch psychometric approach, and a refined and shorter STAI version is proposed. ⋯ The results indicate that the application of the Rasch model led to the refinement of the classic STAI state and trait scales. In addition, they suggest that these shorter versions have a more suitable psychometric performance and are free of threshold disorders and differential item functioning problems.
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Although there is a suggestion that the medical psychiatric unit (MPU) may reduce length of hospital stay (LOS), little is known about costs in terms of medical service use and psychiatric interventions in MPU care. ⋯ The findings suggest that patients at the interface of psychiatric and somatic morbidity are diagnosed and treated adequately at the MPU, leading to a decrease in medical service use and an appropriate increase in exposure to psychiatric interventions. These results are specifically generalizable to MPUs with a focus on psychosomatic conditions, for instance, somatoform disorders or affective disorders with comorbid somatic diseases. However, failure to show cost savings in terms of LOS compared to medical wards outweighs cost-benefit derived from lower medical service use, suggesting that MPU activities may gain in cost-effectiveness if shifted more to outpatient psychosomatic care solutions.