A new study led by the Health Research Board (HRB) has examined the clinical and demographic profile of people admitted to approved psychiatric units with a diagnosis of psychosis in Ireland between 2013 and 2022.

According to Mairéad O Driscoll, Chief Executive at the HRB,

“Using data from the HRB’s National Psychiatric Inpatient Reporting System, this study will support the ongoing development of the HSE Early Intervention in Psychosis to help improve care and outcomes for people with psychosis.”

Key findings include:

  • There were 43,963 psychosis admissions over the 10-year period, accounting for one-in-four psychiatric admissions.
  • The median age at first admission for men was 36 years-of-age – approximately 10 years older than that reported for men in comparable international studies. Women with psychosis were older than men at the time of admission.
  • Unemployment was identified as a risk factor for psychosis admission.
  • One-in-five psychosis admissions were from ethnic minority backgrounds. When compared with admissions for other mental health conditions, being from an ethnic minority background was identified as a risk factor for psychosis admission.

Lead author, HRB Research Intern Harriet Lovett, comments: “Our study highlights that people with psychosis represent one-in-four in-patient admissions, making it important to understand more about this group and how policy and planning can best support better outcomes for them. By identifying specific characteristics of inpatients with psychosis, such as age profile, unemployment and ethnicity as risk factors, the evidence we provide can inform targeted supports in these areas, for example; the age profiles for men and women indicate the importance of early intervention and the potential need for additional support at certain life stages.”

The study was published in the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine on 21 February 2025, authored by Harriet Lovett (HRB), Antoinette Daly (HRB), Dr Ena Lynn (HRB), Dr Ciaran Corcoran (Acting Clinical Director, St Loman’s Hospital, Mullingar) and Dr Karen O’Connor (Consultant Psychiatrist & National Clinical Lead for the EIP programme).