RESUMEN
OBJECT: This study was aimed to find the contributing factors that influence the length of stay in mental health related facilities and to present future direction for the mental health policy. METHODS: The 1,875 patients who are aged between eighteen and sixty-five are chosen by the stratified random sampling from ten psychiatric hospitals, six psychiatric nursing facilities and five homeless asylums. We investigate about length of stay of all subjects by sociodemographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, functional status, disease related characteristics and analyse contributing factors. RESULTS: From total subjects, average length of stay was 1,906 days, and facilities, where subjects are institutionalized, explains 40% of length of stay. Other related factors are female, old age, single, lack of supportive system before admission and after discharge, medical assistance type I, unavailable of public transportation and utility, long duration of illness, and psychotic disorder. CONCLUSION: For lowering the rate of long-term hospitalization, evaluation of appropriateness is needed for admission to nursing facility and homeless asylum and make up for the medical payment system and the supportive system from family and community.