Hospitals see slide in number of patients with mental illnesses

Published on Friday 31 October 2008 09:02

THE number of people admitted to hospital with mental health issues has dropped by a quarter in the last five years as more are cared for in the community.

Last year, 3700 people were taken into hospital in the Lothians, significantly fewer than the year before and 1200 less than five years previously.

It is understood one of the reasons for the fall in numbers is because of expansions of care in the community, which sees admission to hospital as more of a last resort than a formality.

Mental health has shot up the Government's agenda in recent years amid a range of different campaigns to abolish stigmas and discrimination which surround conditions such as depression and schizophrenia.

Health chiefs are delighted at the fall, and have put it down to caring for more people in the community as well as preventing mental health problems before they take hold.

NHS Lothian's Dr Peter Le Fevre, clinical director for the Royal Edinburgh and Associated Services, said: "We are delighted to see a decrease in the number of admissions to inpatient specialist mental health care.

"This decrease is a reflection of the hard work and quality treatment being provided by the community mental health services. NHS Lothian has invested heavily into community mental health services, allowing us to help and treat more patients in their own home."

Campaigners have always called for people and authorities to treat mental health with the same seriousness as physical illnesses like cancer.

While much progress has been made, charities say there is still some way to go.

The figures released by the Scottish Government show there was also a subsequent drop in the number of people discharged from care on previous years.

Of the 3783 patients officially discharged, all but 1000 were sent home, with most others being sent on to other types of care. 113 died while in care, a proportion in keeping with the rest of the country.

The majority of people who came through hospital doors as a result of mental health problems had been in before, with around a third being new patients.

A Scottish Government statement on mental health reads: "Good mental health is important to everyone living in Scotland.

"We must work to promote health and prevent illness and where illness occurs to treat it or minimise the damage that it causes.

"This is not just about severe and enduring mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder and dementia, but also about a wider range of disorders and illnesses including depression and anxiety."