• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Almost 25% of patients in hospitals have mental illness

Quality Improvement Monitor, April 13, 2007

Nearly 25% of all stays in community hospitals for patients age 18 and older-7.6 million of nearly 32 million-involved depressive, bipolar, schizophrenia, and other mental health disorders or substance use related disorders in 2004, according to a new report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

This study presents the first documentation of the full impact of mental health and substance abuse disorders on U.S. community hospitals. About 1.9 million of the 7.6 million stays were for patients who were hospitalized primarily because of a mental health or substance abuse problem. In the other 5.7 million stays, patients were admitted for another condition but they also were diagnosed as having a mental health or substance abuse disorder.

Nearly two-thirds of costs were billed to the government: Medicare covered nearly half of the stays, and 18% were billed to Medicaid. Roughly 8% of the patients were uninsured. Private insurers were billed for the balance. The study also found that one of every three stays of uninsured patients was related to a mental health or substance abuse disorder.

"Community hospitals play an important role in the treatment of people with mental health and substance abuse disorders," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, MD  "This report gives healthcare policymakers an in-depth look at the impact of mental health and substance abuse care on the healthcare system."

For more information, click here http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2007/hcup10pr.htm

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive