asked the Minister for Health if he will provide statistics on the number of compulsorily detained persons in psychiatric hospitals during each year since the Mental Treatment Act, 1945, came into force by sex, age, marital status, length of stay and diagnosis.
Written Answers. - Psychiatric Statistics.
The information is not readily available in the form requested by the Deputy. However, the following is the breakdown by sex of the number of compulsorily detained patients in public psychiatric hospitals in the years 1947 to 1962.
Male |
Female |
Total Number of Detained Patients. |
|
31/12/'47 |
8,954 |
8,567 |
17,521 |
31/12/'48 |
9,084 |
8,739 |
17,823 |
31/12/'49 |
9,352 |
8,866 |
18,218 |
31/12/'50 |
9,381 |
8,956 |
18,337 |
31/12/'51 |
9,409 |
8,966 |
18,375 |
31/12/'52 |
9,527 |
9,028 |
18,555 |
31/12/'53 |
9,701 |
9,176 |
18,877 |
31/12/'54 |
9,777 |
9,237 |
19,014 |
31/12/'55 |
9,799 |
9,139 |
18,938 |
31/12/'56 |
9,850 |
9,150 |
19,000 |
31/12/'57 |
9,816 |
8,767 |
18,583 |
31/12/'58 |
9,806 |
8,677 |
18,483 |
31/12/'59 |
9,508 |
8,207 |
17,715 |
31/12/'60 |
9,266 |
7,875 |
17,141 |
31/12/'61 |
8,909 |
7,579 |
16,488 |
31/12/'62 |
8,437 |
7,107 |
15,544 |
The number of detained patients in the years 1971, 1981, 1982 and 1983 was as follows: 31/3/71, 9,389; 30/6/81, 4,491; 31/12/82, 3,391; 31/12/83, 3,413.
A breakdown by age and length of stay of the number of detained patients on 31/12/82 is presented in the following table.
AgeLength of Stay |
Under 16 |
16-19 |
20-44 |
45-64 |
65-74 |
75+ |
All Ages |
Under 3 Months |
1 |
21 |
167 |
111 |
58 |
34 |
392 |
3-12 Months |
2 |
9 |
85 |
61 |
49 |
34 |
240 |
1-5 Years |
1 |
8 |
135 |
115 |
71 |
77 |
407 |
Over 5 Years |
— |
— |
401 |
984 |
577 |
390 |
2352 |
All Lengths of Stay |
4 |
38 |
788 |
1271 |
755 |
535 |
3391 |