Table 2.

Demographic and clinical data for the 1996 and 1999 cohorts of chronic patients (length of current admission is more than 3 months).

	1996 (n = 634)		1999 (n = 846)		Statistical values
Male sex (%)	67.0		65.8		*χ2 = 0.235 P = 0.628
	Mean	Median	Mean	Median
Age (years)	43.7 ± 11.3	43	46.5 ± 13.2	45	**Z = −3.109 P = 0.002
Duration of illness (years)	17.9 ± 9.7	17	20.0 ± 11.3	19	**Z = −3.247 P = 0.001
Length of current hospitalization (months)	59.6 ± 63.2	36.5	57.2 ± 78.4	25	**Z = −3.215 P = 0.001

^*chi-square test

^**Mann–Whitney U-test.