An examination of the temporal and geographical patterns of psychiatric emergency service use by multiple visit patients as a means for their early detection

Table 3 Average^a (± SE) time (in days) between subsequent visits for patients in the multiple visit groups.

	1^st to 2^nd	2^nd to 3^rd	3^rd to 4^th	4^th to 5^th	5^th to 6^th	6^th to 7^th	7^th to 8^th	8^th to 9^th	9^th to 10^th
1 to3	605 ± 15	593 ± 25
	(N = 3642)^b	(N = 1001)
4 to 10	446 ± 25	397 ± 21	433 ± 17	405 ± 20	342 ± 20	353 ± 22	315 ± 31	410 ± 41	443 ± 54
	(N = 1406)	(N = 1406)	(N = 1406)	(N = 904)	(N = 622)	(N = 424)	(N = 258)	(N = 139)	(N = 54)
11+	335 ± 37	274 ± 32	199 ± 34	212 ± 30	187 ± 25	183 ± 24	196 ± 26	170 ± 25	186 ± 20
	(N = 373)	(N = 373)	(N = 373)	(N = 373)	(N = 373)	(N = 373)	(N = 373)	(N = 373)	(N = 373)

^a The mean values for all adjacent cells within a column differ significantly (ANOVA, P < 0.001 for all except the following three adjacent cells. That between the '4 to 10' and the '11 +' group at the 1^st to 2^nd (P < 0.01), the 2^nd to 3^rd (P < 0.005) and at the 7^th to 8^th visits (P < 0.005).
^b N values in parentheses represent the number of patients.

ISSN: 1471-244X