A national audit of new long-stay psychiatric patients. I: Method and description of the cohort.

Abstract

This first report of a national audit of new long-stay (NLS) psychiatric patients conducted in 1992 describes the survey method and characteristics of the cohort. Psychiatrists from 59 UK mental health services returned data on 905 patients, aged 18-64 on admission, who had been in hospital for between six months and three years. Two particular sub-groups were observed. Younger NLS patients (aged 18-34) were predominantly single men with schizophrenia; 43% of these had a history of serious violence, dangerous behaviour or admission to a Special Hospital and over one-third were formally detained. Older NLS patients (aged 55-67) were predominantly married or previously married women, more often with a diagnosis of affective disorder or dementia and with poor personal and social functioning; over half were at moderate or severe risk of non-deliberate self-harm. Despite the continued policy of bed closures and focus on care in the community, some patients admitted recently to psychiatric units in the UK still have protracted hospital stays.