Changing patterns of admission in a state mental hospital.

The patterns of admission in a State Mental Hospital during the past decade (1st January 1973 to 31st December 1932) was studied. It was observed that voluntary admissions gradually increased whereas certified admissions declined over the decade. The certified cases from Madras City showed a decline in the recent years after some fluctuations and the certified cases from Districts of Tamil Nadu remained almost constant throughout the decade. The admissions from Madras City increased whereas the admissions from the Districts of Tamil Nadu showed a tendency to decline. The reasons for the above observations are discussed.