Inpatient Psychiatric Care: Top Diagnoses, Cost, Long Wait Times
Inpatient Psychiatric Care is 6.7% of All Hospital Admissions in the United States.
The Main Reasons for Inpatient Psychiatric Care Are Suicidal or Homicidal Ideations.
The Most Common Psychiatric Conditions Leading to Inpatient Psychiatric Care are Mood Disorders Such as Depression and Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.
There Are Not Enough Inpatient Psychiatric Beds in Many Parts of America, Causing Some Patients to Have to Wait as Long as 2 Weeks in the ER Waiting for Admission.
Because of Low Reimbursement, Hospitals Have Cut Back Their Psychiatric Care.
However, Some Hospitals Choose to Spend Billions on New Construction or Private Equity Funds, Rather Than Maintaining or Expanding Inpatient Psychiatric Care.
Sources:
https://www.nasmhpd.org/sites/default/files/TAC.Paper_.1Beyond_Beds.pdf
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/days-psychiatric-care-led-21k-hospital-bill/story?id=66662495
https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2022/01/24/patients-in-mental-distress-spend-days-stuck-in-mass-ers-waiting-for-inpatient-care
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/health/story/2019-07-01/hospitals-lose-money-caring-for-mental-health-patients-is-there-a-better-way
https://www.vhha.com/research/2015/08/07/psychiatric-diagnoses-that-result-in-the-most-hospital-admissions/
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/raise/what-is-psychosishttps://www.wbur.org/news/2022/05/04/state-clears-path-for-mass-general-brigham-projects-totaling-more-than-2-billion
https://racinecountyeye.com/ascension-cuts-mental-health-unit-staff-beds/https://healthcare.ascension.org/locations/alabama/almob/mobile-providence-hospital/mission-philosophy-and-values
The Catholic hospital system Ascension is running a Wall Street-style private equity fund
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17 Comments
I think a great way to summarize your closing statement is to say, "money talks". Although these are words rather than actions, if the action is influenced by money, then the money was certainly "talking" to the administrators who made the decisions that will inevitably affect patient care.
As a practicing psychiatrist I thank you for seeing the value in behavioral health care. The unfortunare result of a lack of inpatient beds is an increase in homelessness and incarceration. Some solutions can be an increased in case managment services for the severely mentally ill, collaborative care models and greater use of partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient services. However, mental health more than any specialty needs to have legislation that create safety nets programs and allows for involuntary outpatient treatment that has been shown to reduce cost and prevent inpatient hospitalizations.
Great video, Dr. Bricker! So important to have mental health addressed primarily in post-acute settings where it is overshadowed by the setting.
These videos are awesome. Thank you sir. I’m a nursing student trying to learn more about this stuff 👍🏼
Thank for more making this excellent and informing video! I am an inpatient psychiatric social worker in San Diego, CA and this was very resonating.
I don’t know how many other people have experienced this, but I tried for years to get enough money to get my master’s in psych so I could treat patients, but school and life were always so expensive that I just couldn’t manage it. And a lot of psychiatrists have huge school loans they are barely paying off. Our educational system here in the states doesn’t capitalize on the wealth of talent we have.
Excellent video!! I plan on showing my nursing students who are entering their psych rotation!
Dr Bricker thank you SO much for this video! The realities of psych/BH service line as a net loss for the hospitals lead to neglect and unit closures. Really appreciated this info
Sounds a bit scary,
Nice info. How to get in contact with you
For fucks sake STOP spreading misinformation glorifying these shitholes. The amount of bruises I had when I left four winds is sickening. I’m done being ignored by people who think they’re helping. This is only doing more harm that good. you’re encouraging people to admit themselves to places like these, I was fooled by shit like this and the amount of trauma I have will stick with me forever.
The raw and uncut truth includes the following:
Verbal abuse
Physical abuse
Manipulation
Threats
Neglect
Toxic positivity
Medical discrimination
Untrained staff
Restraints and needles
Possible vulnerability to sexual assault
Victim blaming
Bad therapists
And a fuck ton more. Please educate yourself before you encourage people to put themselves into these places
– sincerely, a traumatized victim of the American mental health system
Excellent! Best on the internet ! I live in Henderson NV. No choices
Nothing for long term care for depression and by polar in Nevada
Impatient stablization units have not been the problem for my patients. The problem is that a stabilization unit only goal is medication not treatment. Treatment centers like McClean hospital charge a fortune. So patients do the ER – Stabilization Unit shuffle over and over again.
My family member will end up dead as he is spiraling down fast. There are no facilities in our area. Severe mental illness is a death sentence.
Impatient psychiatric care would include impulse control.
My adult son, a graduate of the University of Washington’s computer science program, has schizophrenia. He hears voices constantly, has extensive delusions about his involvement in the CIA, the Illuminati and considers every random interaction as a governmental operation. He rarely sleeps. He is intelligent, altruistic, kind, empathetic and feigns compliance when confronted. He needs long term in patient intervention but he hasn’t harmed himself or anyone else. We need help from an industry that seems to obstruct intervention.