Lomest psychiatric case register: the statistical context required for planning.
Descriptive statistics derived from a psychiatric case register are presented. They may be useful for a more rational planning of new services, and provide a preliminary evaluation of the effects of the recent Act (1978) which has abolished large mental hospitals in Italy. Each component of the 1-year prevalence rates has been examined closely, and the results have indicated three main considerations: abolishing the large mental hospital does not abolish the long-stay patients still living in it, and these people will remain a heavy load on the mental health care system for a long time; the new Act has halved admission rates, but the decline may be a positive result if in-care and out-care are sufficiently integrated; treated out-patients tend to increase year by year, and they seem more and more to be "young men and middle-aged women" suffering from minor psychiatric disorders. Finally, a closer collaboration between planners and evaluators is suggested.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006275:Health Facility Planning; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012042:Registries; D012737:Sex Factors