Problems in the Interpretation of Trends in the Population Movement of the Public Mental Hospitals

Abstract

This study establishes the fact that the resident population of the public mental hospitals of the nation was lower at the end of fiscal 1956 than would have been expected on the basis of the trend of these populations from 1945-1955. The observed number of resident patients at the end of 1956 was less than expected in 45 states. On the same basis, admissions were higher than expected in 24 states; net releases were higher than expected in 33; and deaths were higher than expected in 43. Despite the fact that tranquilizing drugs were widely used in these hospitals, it is not possible to state definitely how much of the decreases are due to this factor because of the lack of adequate data on drug utilization within hospitals and on patients movement specific for drug usage and such factors as age, sex, diagnosis, length of stay, type of commitment, and so forth. The need to revise existing statistical systems in mental hospitals and to develop community programs is underscored. The former is needed to provide intrahospital data necessary to quantify the impact of various therapeutic programs on net release and death rates; the latter is needed to provide data on community and familial variables that can affect the rates at which patients are admitted to, released from, or die in public mental hospitals.