In-hospital psychological stress and post-hospital outcomes

Psychological stress experienced by hospital inpatients has been shown to be associated with poorer post-hospital outcomes. The current study aimed to test for associations between hospital-related stress and post-hospital outcomes, and explore whether these associations varied by stressor type, demographic, and other patient factors. A nationally representative sample of 660 recent UK inpatients completed the Hospital Stress Questionnaire and four post-hospital outcome measures. Increased in-hospital stress was observed amongst patients that were younger, female, from an ethnic minority, had a longer hospital stay, or an unplanned admission. In-hospital stress was associated with all four post-hospital outcome measures. The associations were stronger for subjective than objective outcomes, and strongest with stressors related to health anxiety and negative effects of treatment. This study provides further evidence that in-hospital stress is associated with poorer post-hospital outcomes. Future interventions ought to focus on reducing in-hospital stress to improve patients’ experiences of healthcare and recovery.