42% of psychiatric patients in hospital for over a year, survey finds

THERE will be more than 300 long-stay patients still living in large psychiatric hospitals in 2030 if Government policy to close down the institutions does not speed up, it has been warned.

A census of psychiatric hospitals, published by the Health Research Board, has criticised the ongoing failure of the health services to close old psychiatric hospitals.

The report, which took a snapshot of the hospital population on one night in 2010, found that of 2,812 patients, 42% had been in hospital continuously for one year or more, slightly down from 46% in 2006.

The report further found that 25% of patients had been in hospital for five years or more, down from 29% in 2006.

Almost half of those who had been hospitalised for five years or more were aged 65 years and over.

Overall, the report found there has been a 17% reduction in the number of people resident in psychiatric units and hospitals since 2006.

The HRB’s report shows that patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia have consistently accounted for the largest proportion of patients in each census, but points out that this declined from 53% in 1963 to 34% in both 2006 and 2010

More than half (53%) of patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia had been in hospital for one year or more on the census night and more than one-third (35%) were in hospital for five years or more.

Depressive disorders had the second-highest hospitalisation rates amongst all age groups with the exception of the 18–19 year age group, where it had the highest rate.

Some 92% of those with intellectual disability had been in hospital for one year or more and almost 83% had been in hospital for five years or more on the census night.

Involuntary patients accounted for 13% of the overall population, compared with 22% in 2006.

The HRB’s report is based on data from residents in 68 units and hospitals on the register of approved centres by the Mental Health Commission.

Martin Rogan, assistant national director of mental health services in the HSE, said it was encouraging to see the reduction in inpatients since the last such census in 2006.

“The reduction in the numbers resident in the older psychiatric hospitals is in line with the policy to move away from the more traditional psychiatric hospitals to more community-based services and psychiatric units in general hospitals.

“Now that we are witnessing the end of the institution, we must ensure that credible, high quality alternatives are in place to meet our changing mental health needs.”