Care of Persons With Schizophrenia

This report analyzes nationally representative data to examine inpatient services provided to persons with schizophrenia. The data are for patients admitted to general hospitals, private psychi-atric hospitals, and State and county mental hospitals between 1970 and 1986 (weighted n = 860,637). The proportion of ad-missions diagnosed as having schizophrenia decreased from 21 percent in 1970 to 16 percent in 1986; this proportion decreased in public general hospitals and increased in private general hos-pitals. The rate of admissions for schizophrenia decreased in public general hospitals and State and county mental hospitals and in-creased in private general hos-pitals. The overall admissions rate decreased for whites with schizophrenia and increased for African-Americans, owing en-tirely to increased admissions of African-American males. Private general hospitals and State and county mental hospitals relied less over time on private in-surance; the use of Medicare increased in both public and pri-vate general hospitals; and Medi-caid use increased in private general hospitals. Further re-search on services for this popu-lation is necessary as a baseline for health care reform