The 20-24 year age group had the highest rate of all admissions, to Irish psychiatric units and hospitals in 2020. At 545.2 per 100,000, they were followed by the 18-19 year age group, at 450.9 and the 25-34 year age group, at 444.9.
This is revealed in the annual HRB report on the activities of Irish Psychiatric Units and Hospitals in 2020, by Antoinette Daly and Sarah Craig.
The 75 year and over age group had the lowest rate of admission, at 367.0 per 100,000. The 18-19 year-old age group had the highest rate of first admissions, at 254.1 per 100,000, followed by the 20-24 year age group, at 251.1 and the 25-34 year age group, at 174.1. The 55-64 year age-group had the lowest rate of first admissions, at 126.9 per 100,000.
Sixty per cent of all admissions were single, almost 24% were married, 4% were widowed and 3% were divorced.
Divorced persons had the highest rate of all admissions, at 398.5 per 100,000, followed by single people, at 360.7 and widowed, at 321.1. Married persons had the lowest rate of all admissions, at 202.2 per 100,000. Single persons had the highest rate of first admissions, at 127.3, followed by widowed, at 116.7 and divorced, at 115.5. Married persons had the lowest rate of first admissions, at 82.3 per 100,000.
Thirty-eight per cent of all admissions were returned as unemployed in 2020, 22% were employed, 12% were retired, 5% were students, almost 4% were engaged in house
duties and 19% were unknown.
Depressive disorders accounted for the highest proportion of all first admissions as in previous years, at 24% of all and 27% of first admissions. Schizophrenia accounted for almost 22% of all admissions and 16% of first admissions, while neurosis accounted for 10% of all and 14% of first admissions.
Sixteen per cent of all admissions and 17% of first admissions in 2020 were involuntary.
Thirty per cent of all discharges in 2020 occurred within one week of admission, 18% occurred within one to two weeks, 20% occurred within two to four weeks and 26% occurred.
within one to three months of admission. Five per cent occurred within three months to one year with just over one per cent occurring within one year or more of admission.
The average length of stay for all discharges in 2020 was 54.7 days (median 14 days).
There were 486 admissions for under 18s in 2020, down 11 from 497 in 2019. The total number of admissions for under 18s includes admissions to adult acute units and specialised child and adolescent in-patient units. There were 27 admissions for under 18s to adult units and hospitals in 2020, down from 54 in 2019, and there were 459 admissions to child and adolescent units, up from 443 in 2019. Admissions to child and adolescent units include admissions to four HSE/HSE funded units and two private units.
