[Health report data in the management of chronic psychiatric patients]

Reforming mental health care in the Federal Republic of Germany was clearly impeded by a lack of health care data which would allow for a precise description of the state of the reorganisational process. Since these deficits are not a specific problem of mental health care, the need for a national health report providing health care statistics from all medical disciplines is widely recognised and has led to appropriate political initiatives. The difficulties in interpreting mental health care statistics of restricted validity and the resulting dangers will be discussed by means of examples, and the need for a special health report in mental health care is justified.