Availability and distribution of psychiatric beds, United States and each state, 1988

The total number of non-Federal and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) inpatient and residential treatment psychiatric beds in mental health organizations in the United States increased by almost 2 percent between 1986 and 1988, from 267,613 to 271,923. Excluding VA psychiatric beds in both years, the number of beds increased from 240, 739 in 1986 to 246,181 in 1988 (2.3 percent). This was in contrast to a 3 percent decrease observed nationally in all non-Federal hospital beds (psychiatric and other) during the 1986-88 period. As a result, non-Federal psychiatric beds comprised 21 percent of non-Federal hospital beds in 1988, compared to 20 percent in 1986. The overall growth in psychiatric beds between 1986 and 1988 was due to increases in number of psychiatric beds in private psychiatric hospitals, separate psychiatric services of non-Federal general hospitals, residential treatment centers for emotionally disturbed children, (RTCs), and multiservice mental health organizations, which more than offset decreases in psychiatric beds in State and county mental hospitals and VA mental health services. Between 1986 and 1988, the national pattern of an increase in psychiatric beds was reflected in 30 States, while the remaining 20 States and the District of Columbia showed decreases in psychiatric beds. Among the States, the availability of psychiatric beds, measured by bed rates per 100,000 civilian population, varied considerably in 1988. Thirty States and the District of Columbia had 100 or more beds per 100,000 civilian population, while 6 States had rates of fewer than 75 beds. Although the number of State and county mental hospital beds decreased between 1986 and 1988, these organizations accounted for the largest percentage of all psychiatric beds in 1988 (39 percent). The separate psychiatric services of non-Federal general hospitals ranked second in number of psychiatric beds in 1988, with 18 percent of the total followed by private psychiatric hospitals, with 16 percent; VA mental health services, with 10 percent; residential treatment centers for emotionally disturbed children with 9 percent; and multiservice mental health organizations, with 8 percent.