Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
More admissions to mental health units
Figures released by the Information Services Division show that there were 2,335 admissions in 2015/16 across the region, up from 2,163 in 2014/15.
The figure is the highest it has been since 2001/2 when 2,492 were admitted.
There were also 2,348 patient discharges over the year but only 1,478 individual patients, meaning 58% of them were treated more than once.
The rate of people admitted in Tayside is also significantly higher than the national average.
Keith Wilson is acting manager of the Hearing Voices Network in Dundee, an organisation which helps to support people with mental health problems.
He said the organisation, which works closely with Dundee’s Carseview Centre, had seen an increase in users.
He said: “We have noticed a considerable increase in the number of people coming and going from Carseview over the past year and have seen a large increase generally in the people using our service.
“People are clearly also going in for a second, third or fourth time to Carseview.
“We have a relationship with Carseview, in that we go into the centre at least once a week to speak to people who are looking to help manage their own mental health.”
Mr Wilson said he felt the increase in patients was a positive thing.
“A lot of the people we see in Carseview are coming in for quite a short time, maybe two or three days at a time, and then leaving,” he said.
“Most people I speak to find that going into Carseview is a particularly valuable experience for them and really positive.
“The feedback we have is that people are going in because they are not coping but they go there and they like the security. It provides them with some respite for their problems and they feel safe.
“I think this is definitely one reason people end up back there, as they realise, ‘I can always go back there, I feel safe there’.
“For that reason, I think our work in Carseview will probably increase again next year.”
NHS Tayside was approached for comment but said the relevant expert was unavailable.
NHS Tayside saw more admissions to its mental health hospitals last year than in any year since 2001/2.