MENTAL PATIENTS

Evening Star, Issue 21216, 24 September 1932, Page 8

MENTAL PATIENTS

INCREASING RATIO TO POPULATION 1 [From Odr Parliamentary Repobtib.] WELLINGTON, September 23. Concern is expressed in the annual report of the Dominion’s Mental Hospitals at the steadily mounting number of patients, and their increasing ratio to the general population. The rate has increased from one registered insane person to 383 of population in 1876, to one for every 209 of popular tion in 1931. On December 31, 1931,j there were 7,020 persons on the registers of mental hospitals. During the year 1,406 persons were admitted and discharges totalled 626, or 43.1 per cent., calculated on admissions; but this percentage does not constitute tha recovery rate, for only 23.23 per cent* of those committed by magistrates were discharged as recovered, and a further 11.1 per cent, showed sufficient improvement to permit of discharge, generally aftea - a period of probation. Of the 343 voluntary patients 261, on 70 per cent., were discharged as recovered.

Taking into account all admissions,; the recovery rate was 36.13 per cent., which was about equivalent to that of other countries whoso figures were available for comparison. In December last over 500 people irf tho mental hospitals were over the age of seventy years, at least 350 of whom did not require the highly organ, ised and expensive form of care provided in the mental hospitals. Commenting on this, Dr , Gray, (Director-General) states that these people should not occupy so large a share of the infirmary space, but should be housed in buildings of much less costly type, and looked after by a relatively small proportion of staff. Dealing with overcrowding, Dr Gray! shows that there are 823 more people accommodated than there is room for,, the excess at Auckland being 144. The number of patients at Auckland is 1,314. It is recommended that new, villas be erected at Stoke (Nelson),' Hokitika, and and farm institutions where land is available and a cheap type of building can be constructed.