Types of Psychiatric Beds and Mental Health Services in 16 Latin American Countries, 1990-2020

OBJECTIVE: Latin America has undergone major changes in psychiatric services over the past three decades. The authors aimed to assess the availability of service data and changes in psychiatric services in this region during the 1990-2020 period.

METHODS: The authors formed a research network to collect data on psychiatric service indicators gathered between 1990 and 2020 from national registries in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Indicators included psychiatric beds in psychiatric and general hospitals overall, for children and adolescents, and for forensic populations; residential beds for substance use treatment; treatment slots in residential facilities and day hospitals; and outpatient facilities.

RESULTS: Data availability varied among countries, service indicators, and time points. The median prevalence of psychiatric beds decreased in psychiatric hospitals from 5.1 to 3.0 per 100,000 people (-42%) and in general hospitals from 1.0 to 0.8 (-24%). The median prevalence estimates of specialized psychiatric beds for children and adolescents (0.18) and for forensic populations (0.04) remained unchanged. Increases in prevalence were observed for residential beds for substance use treatment (from 0.40 to 0.57, 43% increase), available treatment slots in residential facilities (0.67 to 0.79, 17%), treatment slots in day hospitals (0.41 to 0.54, 32%), and outpatient facilities (0.39 to 0.93, 138%).

CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that treatment capacity shifted from inpatient to outpatient and community care. Most countries had a bed shortage for acute psychiatric care, especially for children and adolescents and forensic patients. More comprehensive and standardized mental health service registries are needed.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:75

Enthalten in:

Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.) - 75(2024), 1 vom: 01. Jan., Seite 48-54

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Mundt, Adrian P [VerfasserIn]
Delhey, Sabine [VerfasserIn]
Martínez, Pablo [VerfasserIn]
Irarrázaval, Matías [VerfasserIn]
Grasso, Luciano [VerfasserIn]
Rivera-Arroyo, Guillermo [VerfasserIn]
Capistrano, Adelia [VerfasserIn]
Trujillo, Natalia [VerfasserIn]
Golcher, Francisco [VerfasserIn]
Benavides Salcedo, Andrés [VerfasserIn]
Dedik, Corinne [VerfasserIn]
Cordero, Martha [VerfasserIn]
Torales, Julio [VerfasserIn]
Malpartida, César [VerfasserIn]
Almánzar, Ángel [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Journal Article
Latin America
Medical-psychiatric units
Mental health systems
Psychiatric hospital beds
Psychiatric reforms

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 02.01.2024

Date Revised 02.01.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1176/appi.ps.20220590

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM361427239