Utilization of short-stay hospitals in the treatment of mental disorders : 1974-1978

This report presents national estimates on the utilization of non-Federal short-stay hospitals by patients discharged with a diagnosis of mental disorder. Included in the report are data on patients whose first-Iisted diagnosis is psychosis, neurosis, personality disorder (including alcoholism and drug dependence), or other nonpsychotic mental disorder coded according to the Eighth Revision International Classification of Diseases, Adapted for Use in the United States. Information on the number of mental disorder discharges, average length of stay, and most frequent diagnostic categories are presented according to patient characteristics for 1974-78. Also included are data on the average length of stay according to patient\u2019s expected source of payment for 1978. Discharges ofnewborn infants are excluded from this report.The statistics presented are based on data collected through the National Hospital Discharge Survey, a continuous survey which has been conducted since 1965 by the National Center for Health Statistics. A brief description of the sample design, source of data, and definitions of terms used in this report can be found in the technical notes. Several factors should be kept in mind in using the data discussed in this report. It should be noted that the survey does not include persons discharged from long-stay psychiatric facilities. Also, statistics are presented on discharges, not individual patients, since an individual may have been discharged from a hospital more than once.PMID: 10257284ad070acc.pdf1981702