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The impact of an expanding community mental health service on patterns of bed usage: evaluation of a four-year period of implementation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

H. Häfner*
Affiliation:
Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Mannheim, West Germany
J. Klug
Affiliation:
Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Mannheim, West Germany
*
1Address for correspondence: Prof. Dr H. Häfner, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, 6800 Mannheim 1, J5, Postfach 5970, West Germany.

Synopsis

In the city of Mannheim the introduction of an extensive community mental health service has been shown, by means of case-register data over 4½ years, to have led to a considerable increase in utilization, mainly at the out-patient level of care. The rates of admission to hospital increased very little. Due to the simultaneous decline in long-term bed occupancy, the overall need for psychiatric beds remained stable at a rate of about 1·2/1000, a rate which is very low by international standards.

The sharp decline in the ‘old’ long-stay population was followed by a smaller increase in ‘new’ long-stay patients which it has not been possible to prevent. These patients are, however, admitted for a long-term stay significantly later than formerly, and their diagnostic composition has changed significantly.

The increase in the bed requirements for short- and medium-term stay patients resulted from different sources: an increasing morbidity in some groups of disorders, the rising utilization in case of emergencies and severe crises, and the transfer of long-stay patients to alternative care services. The level of these needs was very similar in Mannheim, Salford, Samsø and Camberwell, whereas the rates for long-term beds still show clear national differences.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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