A nation‐wide census of psychiatric out‐patients in Denmark

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Abstract
A nation‐wide census of Danish psychiatric out‐patient clinics has been undertaken with a two‐fold purpose, firstly to categorize psychiatric out‐patients, secondly to compare them with psychiatric in‐ and day‐patients.On January 1st, 1977, Denmark had a population of 5,079,879, of which 3,947,383 were 15 years or older. On census day, a total of 3,161 patients, 1,366 males and 1,795 females corresponding to 0.89 males and 0.80 females respectively per 1,000 were in outpatient treatment. On April lst, 1976, 10,335 patients, 4,378 males and 5,947 females, corresponding to 2.26 males and 2.95 females respectively per 1,000 were psychiatric in‐patients and 1,624 patients, 874 males and 750 females corresponding to 0.43 males and 0.37 females, respectively per 1,OOO were psychiatric day‐patients.The overall prevalence rate increased with increasing age in both sexes. Peak prevalence in out‐patients was between 25‐44 years in males and 45‐64 years in females. In males, schizophrenia was the prevailing diagnosis in all three therapeutic groups, accounting for 38.1%. In females no single diagnostic group was prevailing in all types of treatment, but in the total group schizophrenia was the most common diagnosis, amounting to 37.7%. Analysis of contact pattern showed that 74.4% of the patients were former in‐patients. Only 8% were referred from the general practitioner.

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