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Psychiatric clinics in general practice. Do they reduce admissions?
1General Practice Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, London.
Summary
General-practice-based psychiatric clinics have reduced psychiatric admissions, particularly for non-psychotic patients. This trend was observed in England over an 18-year period, correlating clinic growth with admission decreases.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- General Practice
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- General-practice-based psychiatric clinics have seen substantial growth.
- The impact of these clinics on psychiatric admission rates remains an area of interest.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of general-practice-based psychiatric clinics on psychiatric admissions in England.
- To analyze trends over an 18-year period.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a 1984 survey on general-practice-based psychiatric clinics.
- Compared this data with national psychiatric admission figures over 18 years.
- Conducted further analysis to identify specific patient groups affected.
Main Results:
- Regions with greater development of general-practice-based psychiatric clinics showed a steeper decrease in psychiatric admissions.
- This reduction was primarily attributed to a decrease in admissions of non-psychotic patients.
Conclusions:
- General-practice-based psychiatric clinics appear to reduce overall psychiatric admissions.
- The effect is most pronounced for non-psychotic patient admissions, suggesting a potential for improved community-based mental healthcare.