THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL-FACTORS AND FREQUENT USE OF PSYCHIATRIC-SERVICES

The purpose of the study was to develop a comprehensive demographic, d iagnostic and social profile of patients who are heavy service users o f hospital and community based services within the South Australian Me ntal Health Services (SAMHS), This paper concentrates on the relations hip of social issues to heavy service use. The 50 heaviest users of pu blic adult acute psychiatric services in a defined catchment area of A delaide were identified. Data were obtained retrospectively from the c ase notes over a 3 year study period, All patients' primary therapists were interviewed, as were 35 of the patients. These structured interv iews included a variety of psychosocial rating scales investigating di sability and social networks. The 50 patients studied were found to be seriously disabled by chronic psychiatric illness, with substance abu se often complicating their management and their ability to live succe ssfully in the community, The study confirms the emergence in the lite rature of a valid global profile of the heavy service user patient, an d indicates that social factors are strongly related to heavy service use.