[One year functioning of a psychiatric unit in a general hospital: analyses and reflections]

At a time where the organization of mental health care in Belgium is profoundly modified by the development of an ambulatory option, following as such the proposals of the WHO, it seemed interesting to measure the present functioning of a psychiatry unit located in a general hospital. Data concerning the psychiatry unit of C.H.U. Tivoli, at La Louvière, were analyzed over a period of one year. The age pyramid followed a Gaussian curve, with a peak at age 45, a period of life considered as one of the most difficult in surveys over general life satisfaction. The main reasons for admission were: major depressive disorder, alcohol desintoxication, looked for isolation from the external world (either for physical or psychological reasons), diagnostic (morbidities and comorbidities) and therapeutic (complex treatment combinations) workups, anxious and psychotic decompensations, and systemic conflits (e.g. conflicts within the family). The number and duration of admissions showed peaks in september-october, january-february and june-july. The most current stay duration was 6 days. A subgroup completed an additional survey about the ideal localization for their care. 19 % would have opted for an ambulatory care if the choice would have been proposed. By contrast, it appears that hospitals, with their concentration of disciplines in the same location and relatively efficient organization, still has an important role to play in the future network in mental health care.