The Emergence of Psychiatric Departments as Quasi-Units in General Hospitals
Abstract
The organization of inpatient psychiatric treatment in general hospitals was investigated using data from the Hospital Discharge Surveys for 1980 and 1985 and definitions of psychiatric services used by the American Hospital Association and the National Institute of Mental Health. The definitions differ in that psychiatric services meeting the AHA definition are formally organized and physically separate units, while those meeting the NIMH definition may have a less formal structure. The number of psychiatric inpatient episodes in psychiatric departments as defined by NIMH increased sixfold between 1980 and 1985, while those in formal psychiatric units as defined by AHA decreased by 16 percent. The increase was completely accounted for by episodes of mental disorders; episodes of alcohol and drug disorders decreased in both settings. The implications of the psychiatric department as an entrepreneurial newcomer in the competitive general hospital market are discussed.
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