Comparison of psychiatric admissions between city and country residents in Western Australia.
Data are presented of all patients with a primary psychiatric diagnosis who were admitted to all psychiatric and non-psychiatric hospitals, in Western Australia during 1976-78. Patients resident in the country were compared with those resident in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. A high proportion of both Perth and country residents were admitted under non-psychiatrists. Age standardised admission rates were highest for female country residents, the excess rate being mainly due to their very high rates of neurosis/personality disorder. The higher male admission rates for Perth compared with country residents were mainly due to higher Perth rates for alcoholism. The implications of these findings are discussed.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D012423:Rural Health; D012737:Sex Factors; D014504:Urban Health