Inpatient care in an eastern and a western European area. A comparative case-register study.

Inpatient point-prevalence and admission rates in both mental hospitals and psychiatric wards in general hospitals in East Bohemia and in Drenthe (the Netherlands) were compared. A higher point-prevalence rate was found in Drenthe as there was a higher rate of long-stay patients. However, in East Bohemia the admission rates were higher for all diagnostic categories, except for neuroses, the admission rates for neuroses were twice as high in Drenthe. The differences were explained by the availability of complementary in-patient services and more developed out- and day-patient facilities in Drenthe.