Private psychiatric hospitals, United States: 1983-84 and 1986

In 1986, a total of 314 private psychiatric hospitals provided inpatient services in 47 States and the District of Columbia (D.C.); 114, outpatient care services in 35 States and D.C.; and 102, partial care services in 26 States and D.C. Between 1983 and 1986, the total number of inpatient, outpatient, and partial care episodes in these hospitals increased from 333,731 to 483,284. During the 1983-86 period, the number of private psychiatric hospitals increased from 220 to 314. Almost all of this increase occurred among hospitals operating on a for-profit basis. By 1986, these hospitals represented three-quarters of all private psychiatric hospitals. With the exception of small not-for-profit hospitals, all bed-size groups in private psychiatric hospitals increased between 1983 and 1986. The number of beds in private psychiatric hospitals increased 41 percent, from 21,474 in 1983 to 30,201 in 1986. Similarly, the number of inpatient additions increased from 164,732 to 234,663 in this period, and inpatients at end of year increased from 16,079 to 24,591. The number of outpatient additions increased by more than half, from 77,589 in 1983 to 123,355 in 1986, and the outpatients at the end of the year rose from 79,598 to 135,606 (70 percent). In the same period, the number of partial care additions increased from 5,642 to 8,820, and partial care patients at the end of the year rose from 3,218 to 3,856 (20 percent). In the 1986 year-end inpatient caseload, males slightly outnumbered females, and the patient population was predominantly white, non-Hispanic. About two-fifths of the patients were under age 18, slightly over half were age 18-64 years, and 8 percent were age 65 or older. Mental illness was the major disability, with alcohol and drug abuse a distant second. By comparison, a smaller proportion of patients were under age 18 in 1983 (31 percent), and a larger proportion were age 18-64 (61 percent). In outpatient and partial care services, a more even distribution of the sexes was generally observed. Proportionately fewer outpatients were under age 18, more were between 18 and 64, and fewer were diagnosed with alcohol and drug abuse, compared with inpatient services. Also, proportionately more outpatients were Hispanic. Concomitant increases occurred in the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, as well as in the amount of money expended by private psychiatric hospitals. FTE staff increased from 42,202 in June 1984 to 58,912 in November 1986.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)