Mental health inpatient activity
Annual - Year Ending 31 March 2024

Official statistics

Published: 10 December 2024 (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 2023/2024, there were 51,780 discharges with mental health conditions from all specialties, an increase of 9% from 2022/2023.
Since 2016/2017 there have been more discharges with mental health conditions from non-psychiatric specialties than 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 2,580 in 2023/24, a larger decrease than any other diagnostic group.
Since 1997/1998 the number of discharges from the learning disability specialty (G5) has decreased from 4,705 to 521 in 2023/24.

For discharges from all specialties (51,780) in 2023/24:

The most common diagnosis was mental & behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use, accounting for 7% of discharges.
3% were regular discharges (49,370), 3.4% were irregular discharges (1,780) and 1.2% were discharges where the patient had died (630).

For patients in all specialties (23,750) in 2023/24:

53.9% were male.
37.7% of people were in the age range 65+ years.
Of the 670 patients under 18, 3% were female.

The information is drawn from the patients' NHS Board of residence and treatment and runs up to 31 March 2024. 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).

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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