The workload of New Zealand psychiatrists

All psychiatrists in practice in New Zealand were approached for details of the last 20 patients seen prior to 1 May 1987. Sixty percent complied and gave details of consultations with 1292 patients of whom one quarter were inpatients at the time of the consultation. Only one-third of patients were employed, and less than expected were married. Mental illness is disabling and, on average, patients were judged to be 50% incapacitated. Half the patients suffered from a psychotic illness and were mostly treated with drug therapy, while the quarter of patients with a neurosis or personality disorder tended to be treated with a psychotherapy. New Zealand has 4.3 psychiatrists per 100,000 population, half the ratio recommended by the World Health Organization. Given this shortage of psychiatrists it is not unreasonable that services are directed to patients incapacitated by severe illness. It is, however, regrettable that patients with milder illnesses, and still in the workforce, are not being treated by specialist psychiatrists.