As good as it gets: an empirical study on mentally-ill patients and their stay at a general hospital in Sweden, 1896–1905

• Published in: History of psychiatry 2019-06, Vol.30 (2), p.205-226
• Main Authors: Appelquist, Malin, Brådvik, Louise, Ottosson, Ingemar, Åsberg, Marie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 19th century; Adult; Age Distribution; Annan medicin och hälsovetenskap; Child; Female; Gender; general hospital psychiatry; Historia; Historia och arkeologi; history; History and Archaeology; History of medicine and histology; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Hospitals, General - history; Humaniora och konst; Humanities; Humans; Length of Stay; Male; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Mental Disorders - genetics; Mental Disorders - history; Mental Disorders - therapy; Mentally Ill Persons - history; Other Medical Sciences; Other Medical Sciences not elsewhere specified; precipitating events; Psychiatry - history; Social Class; sociodemographic factors; state at discharge; Sweden; treatment; Övrig annan medicin och hälsovetenskap
• ISSN: 0957-154X; 1740-2360
• DOI: 10.1177/0957154X18822930

General hospital care and treatment of mentally ill patients in a Swedish town was studied in records for 503 patients, 1896–1905. Restraint was extremely rare; 65% left the hospital as healthy or improved. Non-psychotic and alcoholic patients spent fewer days in hospital than patients with psychosis or dementia. There was no evidence of a social status bias. For 36% of the patients a certificate for mental hospital care was issued, with additional information. The cause of illness was stated as unknown for 42% of these patients; adverse circumstances were recorded for 18%. Heredity for mental illness was found in 50% of the patients, particularly in those with mania. Patients with a higher social status were underrepresented.