Cooke, E A; Lemanska, A; Thomas, S P (2023) Decreasing admissions but increasing readmissions for mental health in-patient treatment in Scotland, UK. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 305. pp. 145-148.

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Abstract

We have analysed mental health data for in-patient admissions from 1997 to 2021 in Scotland. The number of in-patient admissions for mental health patients is declining despite population numbers increasing. This is driven by the adult population; child and adolescent numbers are consistent. We find that mental health in-patients are more likely to be from deprived areas: 32 % of patients are from the most deprived areas, compared to only 11 % from the least deprived. The average length of stay for a mental health in-patient is decreasing, with a rise in stays lasting less than a day. The number of mental health in-patients who have been readmitted within a month fell from 1997 to 2011, then increased to 2021. So, although the average stay length is decreasing, the number of overall readmissions is increasing, suggesting patients are having more, shorter stays.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Mental Health; Data Analysis; Deprivation Inequality; Admissions Data
Subjects:	Mathematics and Scientific Computing > Numerical Computation
Divisions:	Data Science
Identification number/DOI:	10.3233/SHTI230446
Last Modified:	05 Jan 2024 15:39
URI:	https://eprintspublications.npl.co.uk/id/eprint/9890