Depression and schizophrenia dominate hospital admissions
involving specialised psychiatric care, according to a new report
released today by the Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare.
Mental Health Services in Australia 1998-99 shows that
there were 169,000 psychiatric care admissions at Australian
hospitals during 1998-99, and a further 83,000 general care
admissions involving mental health-related conditions.
Of the psychiatric admissions, depression and schizophrenia and
related conditions accounted for 26% and 20% respectively of all
admissions.
Although psychiatric care admissions account for only a small
percentage of all hospital admissions, they account for nearly 12%
of all patient-days.
Report co-author David Braddock says that this is clear evidence
that mental health conditions are still significant for public
hospitals in Australia, despite their reducing role in providing
mental health services, in accord with increasing provision of
these services within the community.
'We estimate that the number of beds available in public
psychiatric institutions has declined by 65% or 5,570 beds over the
last decade.'
'And we now know that we are spending more money each year on
community mental health care establishments than in stand-alone
psychiatric hospitals-the figures are $588 million compared with
$437 million.
'Our ongoing General Practice surveys also show a sizeable
number of consultations for mental health-related conditions,
especially depression.
'So, what we are seeing in the hospital figures is a tip, a big
tip admittedly, of a much larger iceberg.
'At the moment we don't have data on patient activity in
community mental health care settings, but we will have them in two
years time.
'We should then have much clearer picture of the treatment of
patients with of mental health conditions across all care
settings.
'These data may also help us to find out why hospital admissions
for psychiatric care in the cities outnumber such admissions in
rural and remote areas by 5 to 1.
'We suspect it is related to availability of services, with most
psychiatric hospitals being in the cities, and it could be that GPs
and other community health facilities are the main forces dealing
with mental health conditions in the bush.'
Mental Health Services in Australia 1998-99 was funded
by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care as part of
the National Mental Health Strategy.
27 June 2001
Further information: David Braddock, AIHW, tel.
02 6244 1136
Media copies of the report: Publications Officer, AIHW,
tel. 02 6244 1032
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability.