According to the latest figures from the Health Research Board’s (HRB) National Psychiatric Inpatient Reporting System (NPIRS), there were 15,905 admissions to Irish psychiatric units and hospitals in 2024. 327 of these were to child and adolescent units.

Similar to previous years, depressive disorders accounted for the highest proportion of all adult admissions, followed by schizophrenia. For the second year running, eating disorders were the most common diagnosis for admissions to child and adolescent units, followed by anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and stress-related disorders.

While similar proportions of adult admissions were female and male, almost three in four of all child and adolescent admissions were female, continuing a trend seen in previous years.

Commenting on the findings, HRB Chief Executive, Dr Mairéad O Driscoll, said:

‘This report provides a clear picture of inpatient psychiatric services for people with mental ill-health, and enables planning of future services in line with people’s needs.’

Summary of 2024 key findings

Admissions to adult units and hospitals

There were 15,578 admissions to Irish adult psychiatric units and hospitals in 2024, with a continued gradual decrease in the rate of admissions to adult units and hospitals.

There was an equal proportion of male and female admissions, and the 20-24 age group had the highest rate of all admissions.

Admissions who were new to inpatient treatment decreased by 132 (2%), from 5,838 in 2023 to 5,706 in 2024, while re-admissions accounted for 63% of all admissions.

A total of 345 admissions reported having no fixed abode, and one in three of these were involuntary.

There were 15,436 discharges and 94 deaths in adult psychiatric units and hospitals in 2024. The average length of stay for all discharges in 2024 was 51 days (median 15 days).

Antoinette Daly, Research Officer at the HRB and co-author of the report, says:

‘We are seeing that adult admissions are most likely to be single, middle-aged, unemployed and diagnosed with a depressive disorder, with schizophrenia and anxiety being the second and third most common diagnoses respectively.’

Child and adolescent admissions

There were 332 admissions for under 18s in 2024, an increase of 10 from 322 in 2023, but a decrease from 366 in 2022, and 509 in 2021.*

Seven in 10 admissions among under 18s were female. The most common diagnoses for this group were eating disorders (26%), anxiety or fear-related disorders/OCD/stress-related disorders (17%), depressive disorders (15%), followed by schizophrenia (11%).

One third of all admissions were aged 17 on admission, and more than one in five were under 14.

Commenting on trends, Antoinette Daly said:

‘Over the last five years we have seen a progressive increase in admission rates for children and adolescents presenting with eating disorders, rising from 18% in 2020 to 26% in 2024. The number of admissions for depressive disorders among children and adolescents has decreased, however the proportion of males admitted with depressive disorders has increased from 31% in 2020 to 45% in 2024.’

ENDS

Read the full report here

View video and infographics here

NOTE TO EDITORS

* Of note is the continued closure of a number of child and adolescent beds in HSE/HSE-funded units in 2024, which may be linked to the decrease in the number of admissions.

The report is compiled from data supplied by the 67 approved psychiatric units and hospitals on the Register of Approved Centres under the Mental Health Act 2001.

Media enquiries related to service delivery and child and adolescent eating disorders should be directed to the HSE Press and Media. All other media enquiries should be directed to HRB Content and Media Specialist Martha Connolly on mconnolly@hrbie