Ciudad Real is an area of approximately 500,000 inhabitants, with a University Hospital and several district hospitals. Psychiatric services and emergencies are centralized in the University Hospital. we analysed the totality of area admissions during 2014, establishing different categories according to ICD 10 diagnosis.

we want to compare different categories of patients who are admitted to hospital (severe mental illness versus non-severe mental illness), morbidity in different areas and readmission rates according to diagnosis.

To establish a correspondence between attention and severity of psychiatric pathology, diagnostic criteria and how we manage both severe and non-severe mental illness and the repercussion in terms of assistance and pressure in psychiatric emergencies.

initially, we made a simple statistic analysis of all admission (400 approximately) in 2014 based on ICD-10 diagnosis, socio-demographic parameters, area, admission stay, number of admissions. we compare both groups: severe and non-severe mental illness according to international criteria. we apply a Pearson correlation searching for relation between severity and attendance to psychiatric emergencies.

around a 60% of admissions are not due to severe mental illness, these conditions have twice the readmission rate than severe mental illness. we did not find a correlation between attendance to psychiatric emergencies and severity of the condition. Other factors seem to have an important role in re-admissions.

Non-severe mental illness is consuming an important part of emergency psychiatric resources. Criteria of admission need to be reviewed or apply rationally.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.