Mental health inpatient activity
Annual - Year Ending 31 March 2023

A National Statistics publication for Scotland

Published: 12 December 2023 (Latest release)
Type: Statistical report
Author: Public Health Scotland

Conditions and diseases
Mental health

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Data Summary

Overview of the latest data

Main points

In 2022/2023, there were 48,150 discharges from all specialties, a decrease of 3.8% from 2022/2023.
Since 2016/2017 there have been more discharges with mental health conditions from non-psychiatric specialties than discharges from psychiatric specialties.
Since 1997/1998 the number of patients treated in hospital for mood (affective) disorders has seen a steady decline from 7,045 to 2,830 in 2022/23, a larger decrease than any other diagnostic group, with a slight increase from 2021/22 (2,800).
The most common diagnosis was mental & behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use, accounting for 34.3% of discharges.

For discharges from all specialties (48,150) in 2022/23:

95.4% were regular discharges (45,940), 3.3% were irregular discharges (1,580) and 1.3% were discharges where the patient had died (625).

For patients in all specialties (22,545) in 2022/23:

37.1% of people were in the age range 65+ years, and overall 52.8% were male.
Of the 635 patients under 18, 66.1% were female.
People living in the most deprived areas were around three times more likely to experience inpatient care than people living in the least deprived areas.

The information is drawn from the patients' NHS Board of residence and treatment and runs up to 31 March 2023. Data in this release comes from select SMR01 cases (mental health cases only) and all SMR04 inpatient cases. Patients receiving inpatient care in psychiatric facilities generate records held nationally on Scottish Morbidity Record 04 (SMR04). Patients receiving care as inpatients and day cases in non-psychiatric (acute) hospitals generate records held nationally on Scottish Morbidity Record 01 (SMR01).

Data are not presented in this publication for patients treated in Learning Disability specialties. Information on patients treated in other inpatient facilities and recorded in the relevant datasets are also not included. These include data recorded in Scottish Morbidity Record 02 (SMR02) – Maternity inpatients/day cases, and Scottish Morbidity Record 01_1E (SMR01_1E/SMR50) – Long stay Geriatric care.

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