A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has revealed that schizophrenia and depression dominate hospital admissions for mental health conditions.

Mental Health Services in Australia 1998-99 shows that there were 169,000 psychiatric care admissions at hospitals around Australia during 1998-99, and an additional 83,000 general care admissions involving mental health-related conditions. Psychiatric care admissions account for almost 12 per cent of all patient-days for all hospital stays.

Depression accounted for 26 per cent of all psychiatric admissions, while schizophrenia and related conditions represented another 20 per cent.

Co-author of the report David Braddock says that the findings provide clear evidence that mental health conditions are still major issues for public hospitals in Australia, despite their reducing role in providing mental health services, in keeping with the increasing provision of these services within the community.

‘We estimate that the number of beds available in public psychiatric institutions has declined by 65 per cent or 5570 beds over the past decade,’ he said.

‘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.’

Braddock says that the AIHW’s General Practice surveys also show a sizeable number of consultations by general practitioners for mental health-related conditions, particularly depression.

‘So, what we are seeing in the hospital figures is a tip, a big tip admittedly, of a much larger iceberg.’

Mr Braddock said that the AIHW will have data on patient activity in community mental health care settings in 2 years, which will provide a clearer picture of the treatment of all mental health patients.

Mental Health Services in Australia 1998-99 was funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care as part of the National Mental Health Strategy.

myDr, 2001