More Persons Entering Mental Hospitals

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29379, 5 December 1960, Page 25

More Persons Entering Mental Hospitals

'The Press’ Special Service

WELLINGTON, Dec. 4. About twice as many New Zealanders are entering mental hospitals compared with 25 years ago. Fewer stay for long periods, however. This conclusion is drawn in a review of New Zealand mental hospital population over a number of years. The historical summary is contained in the annual report on mental health statistics for 1959. Since 1942 the number of patients on the register had increased by 24 per cent; The number of voluntary boarders increased by 210 per cent. The increase for all cases combined was 30 per cent. There had been little change in the number of patients during the last four years. First registrations for the five years 1935-39 gave a rate of 72 per 100,000 mean population. Last year the rate was 116 per 100,000. The rate for committed patients was highest during 1950-54 when it reached 68 per 100.000. It had declined steadily since. The 1959 voluntary boarder rate was. for the first time, higher than that for patients. Patients re-registered increased by 219 per cent, from the 1935-39 average of 178 to 568 in 1959. During the same time voluntary boarder re-registrations increased I from 112 to 917, or by 718 per i cent. The number of patient© dis-

charged increased from an average of 536 for 1935-39 to 1111 in 1959. a 107 per cent, increase. Over the same period deaths of patients increased from 481 to 775. or 61 per cent. Discharge rates per 100.000 mean population increased from 33 in 1935-39 to 47 in 1959. or by 41 per cent. Death rates increased by nine per cent. For all patient removals. the rate increased by 26 per cent, from 63 to 80. Much more spectacular was the number of voluntary boarder removals. The increase from 193539 to 1959 was 647 per cent. For deaths, the figure increased by 143 per cent. For discharges and deaths combined the figure increased by 632 per cent. The number of. remand patients had increased rapidly since 1955. In that year there were 13 males and one female. In 1959 there were 132 males and 16 females. Remand patients discharged were 12 males in 1957, 53 males and seven females in 1958, and 97 males and nine females in 1959. In statesmanship get the formalities right; never mind about the moralities. Mark Twain, foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. —R. W. Emerson.