Objective: To determine the prospective and retrospective consistency of diagnoses among readmitted psychiatric in-patients at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya.

Method: Admission and discharge diagnoses among a consecutive sample of 114 psychiatric in-patients readmitted at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital between August and December 2009 were compared.

Results: The commonest diagnoses at admission were schizophrenia spectrum disorders (47.4%) and bipolar spectrum disorders (30.7%).Overall diagnostic stability as measured by prospective consistency in this study was 72.8%.The most stable diagnostic category was Major Depressive Disorder (100% prospective and retrospective consistency), followed by Bipolar Disorders (91.4% prospective consistency, 69.6% retrospective consistency) and Substance-related disorders (87.5% prospective consistency, 50% retrospective consistency). Schizophrenia-spectrum disorders had a prospective consistency of 75.9% and a retrospective consistency of 87.2%. ‘Other Psychotic Disorders’ (acute psychotic episode and psychotic disorder not otherwise specified) had the lowest diagnostic stability, with both prospective and retrospective consistency being 0%.

Conclusion: Mood disorders and substance-related disorders have the highest diagnostic stability among readmitted psychiatric inpatients in a low-income country