A survey of inpatient alcoholics in Okayama Prefecture

Abstract

A survey of inpatient alcoholics in Okayama Prefecture was carried out on September 1, 1977. Questionnaires for each alcoholic were sent to the psychiatrists of 23 psychiatric hospitals and wards (the total number of psychiatric beds was 4591). Psychiatrists from 21 hospitals (93.9% of the total beds) supplied data. There were 4198 psychiatric inpatients, of whom 230 (5.5%) were alcoholics. Of these alcoholics, 14 were women (6.1% of all alcoholics). Marked differences were found among the hospitals concerning the number of inpatient alcoholics. The number of senile alcoholics over 60 was high (49 persons, 21.4%) and many inpatient alcoholics (102 persons, 44.3%) continued admission for more than one year. The hospital bills of 110 alcoholics (47.8%) were paid by Seikatsuhogo (financial support by the Welfare Office) and obligatory admissions were only 3 (1.3%) of the total alcoholics. 83 of the guardians (36.1%) were spouses and 20 (8.7%) were mayors or village heads. 30.4% of them remained divorced. Thus, inpatient alcoholics had handicaps in family and economical backgrounds, and it is necessary to carry on treatment sufficiently supported by social work.