Mental Diseases of the Senium at Mid-Century: First Admissions to Ohio State Public Mental Hospitals

Abstract

The possible impact of the increased number of aged in the population on admissions to mental hospitals is presented. An analysis of 5676 first admissions to the Ohio State mental hospital system during January 1, 1948 through June 30, 1952 with a diagnosis of mental diseases of the senium was made. The study showed that among these admissions the rates were higher for (a) the metropolitan than the non-metropolitan population; (b) males than females; (c) nonwhites than whites; (d) lower level education groups than higher level education groups; (e) divorced and separated than other marital categories with the lowest rate among the married; (f) employed females than females keeping house; (g) males who are laborers, farmers, service workers and craftsmen than males in other occupational groups. These findings must be qualified by the fact that they do not pertain to all aged with such diagnoses. It excludes, for example, patients in nursing homes, chronic disease hospitals and other institutional facilities as well as those persons residing in the community who may or may not be under medical care. Consideration was also given to those changes in our society which may prevent the occurrence of these mental disorders among the aged or reduce the degree of disability when the disease prevails.