Lomest psychiatric case register: the statistical context required for planning

Abstract

Descriptive statistics derived from a psychiatric case register are presented. They may be useful for a more rational planning of new services, and provide a preliminary evaluation of the effects of the recent act which has abolished large mental hospitals in Italy. Each component of the 1-yr prevalence rates was examined closely, and the results indicated the following 3 main considerations: abolishing the large mental hospital does not abolish the long-stay patients stil living in it, and these people will remain a heavy load on the mental health care system; the new act has halved admission rates, but the decline may be a positive result if in-care and out-care are sufficiently integrated; treated out-patients tend to increase year by year, and they seem more and more to be young men and middle-aged women suffering from minor psychiatric disorders. A closer collaboration between planners and evaluators is suggested.