title: Evacuation and deprivation: the wartime experience of the Devon and Exeter City Mental Hospitals.
abstract: In Exeter, the need for space to treat casualties in World War II led to a significant reduction in capacity at one psychiatric hospital and the closure of another. In spite of this, inpatient stays were longer than in peacetime, partly due to relatives who had to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of having their unwell kin returned to them. In the latter years of the war, admissions from the Devon catchment area were higher than in peacetime. Having more patients who stayed longer was largely compensated for by utilizing free space as opposed to reducing admissions, leading to overcrowding and a restricted inpatient regime.
authors: Devon Partnership NHSTrust, Chadwell Centre, Torquay Road, Paignton, Devon TQ3 2DW, UK. david.pearce@tesco.net
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Pearce
mesh_terms: D003441:Crowding / Q000523:psychology*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000266:history*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000266:history*; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000266:history*; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D047789:World War II