[Characteristics of mental health services at 325 general hospitals in Beijing].
OBJECTIVE
Describe the mental health services provided at different types of general hospitals in Beijing.


METHODS
Distribute the "Hospital Mental Health Services Survey" to all 508 hospitals in the 18 Beijing districts; the survey covers information for 2001 on the type of mental health services provided, the characteristics of the service providers, the number and diagnoses of first-visit mental health patients, and the prescription of psychotropic medications.


RESULTS
73% (373/508) of the hospitals completed the survey, including 75% (325/436) of the general hospitals. Among the 325 general hospitals, 171 (53%) provided one or more types of mental health services; they had a total of 420 staff members who provide these services, but their educational level was relatively low and mental health training limited. 61 general hospitals had mental health outpatient departments that treated 50% (47,151/93,891) of all first-visit mental health patients seen in all hospitals (including psychiatric hospitals) in the municipality; 90% (42,578/47,151) of these first-visit patients in general hospitals were seen at 18 level-3 hospitals. Among the 44,441 first-visit patients for whom diagnostic information was available, the main diagnoses were neurosis (43%) and depression (30%). 103 of the participating general hospitals prescribed 73% of antidepressant medications prescribed at all hospitals in the municipality and 97% of all fluoxetine (Prozac and others).


CONCLUSIONS
General hospitals-particularly level-1 and level-2 general hospitals-need to put more emphasis on mental health services, increase training of staff who provide the services and open relevant departments. Monitoring the development of mental health services in general hospitals and increasing the quality of their mental health services will require periodic assessment of the types and range of mental health services provided and of the diagnostic accuracy and treatment standards of the staff providing these services.
Jiang
Chun-ling
CL
Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center, Beijing 100096, China.
Zhao
Yun-xia
YX
Zhao
Xiu-qin
XQ
Zhang
Yan-ping
YP
Phillips
Michael R
MR
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002681:China; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000928:Antidepressive Agents