Case Mix of Psychiatric Inpatients in Korea

Abstract

In order to evaluate the diagnostic distribution of inpatients in various psychiatric facilities in Korea, the authors conducted a survey of mental health policy, with the aim of contributing to community mental health practice in Korea. A total of 1,126 inpatients were interviewed according to psychiatric diagnostic classification. The results were as follows: 1) The diagnostic distributions showed statistically significant difference among the studied institutions. Tile proportions of schizophrenia in small psychiatric inpatient units(below 30 beds) and asylums were 51.8% and 67.8% respectively, for example. 2) As for the mental retardations, asylum and mental hospital inpatient units showed a much higher proportion comparing to the small psychiatric units(4.5: 1 and 8:1 respectively). 3) Proportion of schizophrenia in twenties were 63.8%, and that was significantly higher than the proportion of schizophrenia in fifties(49.5%). 4) Proportion of affective disorder in the female inpatients were 13.1%, and that was significantly higher than the proportion of affective disorder in the male(5 2%). From the above results, the authors propose that individualized mental health programs are needed according to psychiatric facilities, age and sex.