Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T04:06:14.725Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mental hospital and general hospital psychiatric units: a comparison of services within the same geographic area

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Ashok K. Malla  and
Ross M. G. Norman
Ashok K. Malla*
Affiliation:
Waterford Hospital, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Ross M. G. Norman
Affiliation:
Waterford Hospital, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Ashok K. Malla, Mental Health Clinic, Public General Hospital, Chatham. Ontario, Canada.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Synopsis

A comparison was made between the characteristics of patients admitted to the only psychiatric hospital in Newfoundland, Canada, and those admitted to general hospital psychiatric units within the same area. Patients were compared on demographic characteristics, diagnosis, incidence of violence and suicidal attempts, treatment, length of stay and previous admissions. The results suggest that patients admitted to the mental hospital are more likely to be single, male, of lower socio-economic status and to suffer from more chronic conditions. There is also a higher incidence of violence among patients admitted to the mental hospital. These findings have implications for the types of changes that will be required in general hospital units if the role of mental hospitals continues to decline.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , May 1983 , pp. 431 - 439
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

American Psychiatric Association (1968). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (second edn) (DSM-II). APA: Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Bachrach, L. L. (1981). General hospital psychiatry: overview from a sociological perspective. American Journal of Psychiatry 138(7), 879–887.Google ScholarPubMed
Baldwin, J. A. (1971). The Mental Hospital in the Psychiatric Service. Oxford University Press: London.Google Scholar
Bassuk, E. L. (1980). The impact of deinstitutionalization on general hospital psychiatric emergency ward. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 21, 623–627.Google Scholar
Becker, A. (1976). Inadequacy of institutional care. (letter to the Editor). New England Journal of Medicine 294, 1068.Google Scholar
Becker, A. & Schulberg, H. C. (1976). Phasing out state hospitals – a psychiatric dilemma. New England Journal of Medicine 294, 255–261.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Benson, R., (1976). The functions of a psychiatric unit in a general hospital. Diseases of the Nervous System 37, 573–577.Google ScholarPubMed
Brown, G. W., Ní Bhrolchaín, M. & Harris, T. (1975). Social class and psychiatric disturbance among women in an urban population. Sociology 9, 225–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caplan, G. (1974). Support Systems and Community Mental Health. Behavioural Publications: New York.Google Scholar
Capoore, H. S. & Nixon, J. W. G. (1961). Short stay psychiatric unit in a general hospital. Lancet ii, 1351–1352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cotton, P. G., Bene-Kociemba, A. & Cole, R. (1979). The effect of deinstitutionalization on a general hospital's inpatient psychiatric service. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 30, 609–612.Google ScholarPubMed
Crandell, D. L. & Dohrenwend, B. P. (1967). Some relations among psychiatric symptoms, organic illness and social class. American Journal of Psychiatry 123, 1527–1537.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fakhruddin, A. K. M., Manjooran, A. & Nair, N. P. V.(1972). A five year outcome of discharged chronic psychiatic patients. Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal 17, 433–435.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flamm, G. H. (1979). Expanding roles of general hospital psychiatry. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 30, 190–192.Google ScholarPubMed
Fowler, D. R. & Mayfield, D. (1977). Psychiatric hospitalization: I. Comparisons of public and private delivery systems. Diseases of the Nervous System 38, 314–317.Google ScholarPubMed
Freeman, H. L. (1960). Oldham and district psychiatric service. Lancet i, 218–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenblatt, M. & Glazier, E. (1975). The phasing out of mental hospitals in the United States. American Journal of Psychiatry 132(11), 1135–1140.Google ScholarPubMed
Greenhill, M. H. (1979). Psychiatric units in general hospitals: 1979. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 30, 1969–1982.Google ScholarPubMed
Henderson, S. (1977). The social network, support and neurosis. British Journal of Psychiatry 131, 185–191.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Henderson, S. & Duncan-Jones, P. (1978). The patient's primary group. British Journal of Psychiatry 132, 74–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herjanic, M., Stewart, A. & Hales, R. C. (1968). The chronic patient in the community: a two year follow-up of 338 chronic patients. Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal 13, 231–235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hollingshead, A. B. & Redlich, F. C. (1958). Social Class and Mental Illness: A Community Study. John Wiley: New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kanno, C. & Scheidemandel, P. L. (1974). Psychiatric Treatment in the Community: A National Survey of General Hospital Psychiatry and Private Psychiatric Hospitals. Joint Information Service: Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Layberg, J. T. (1959). A district psychiatric service–the Bolton pattern. Lancet ii, 282–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leeman, C. P. (1980). Involuntary admissions to general hospitals: progress or threat? Hospital and Community Psychiatry 31, 315–318.Google ScholarPubMed
Mayfield, D. G. & Fowler, D. R. (1977). Psychiatric hospitalization: II. Effect of social class and delivery systems. Diseases of the Nervous System 38, 320–323.Google ScholarPubMed
Meikle, S., Gerritse, R. & Pearce, K. (1974). Diagnostic practice in a psychiatric unit. Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal 19, 287–290.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mental Health Statistics (1978). Vol. 1: Institutional Admissions and Separations. Statistics Canada Catalogue, 83–204. Annual.Google Scholar
Miller, M. G. (1979). Integration of hospital care for the mentally ill: A status report. Psychological Medicine 9, 759–763.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Institute of Mental Health (1972) Statistical Note 72. Department of Health, Education and Welfare: Rockville, Md.Google Scholar
National Institute of Mental Health (1977 a). Trends in Length of Stay in General Hospital Psychiatric Inpatient Units, 1971 and 1975. Memorandum 15. Division of Biometry and Epidemiology: Rockville, Md.Google Scholar
National Institute of Mental Health (1977 b). Occupancy Trends, Psychiatric Inpatient Services, 1971–5. Memorandum 19. Division of Biometry and Epidemiology: Rockville, Md.Google Scholar
Orwin, A. & Sim, M. (1965). The mental hospital – effects of an alternative psychiatric service. Lancet i, 644–647.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riley, R. & Rickman, A. (1981). Involuntary hospitalization to mental and psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric units of general hospitals, Canada, 1970–8.Paper presented at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Canadian Psychiatric Association:Winnipeg, Canada.Google Scholar
Smith, C. M. & McKerracher, D. G. (1964). The comprehensive psychiatric unit in the general hospital. American Journal of Psychiatry 121, 52–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wasylenski, D. & Goering, P. (1982). Psychiatric after care – a longitudinal study.Paper presented at the Ontario Psychiatric Association Meeting,January 1982.Google Scholar
Yamamoto, J. & Goin, M. K. (1966). Social class factors relevant for psychiatric treatment. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 142, 332–339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed