The 20-24 age group had the highest rate of admissions to psychiatric units and hospitals in 2023, with the rate of admissions at 472 per 100,000.
Overall, there were 15,631 admissions to Irish adult psychiatric units and hospitals in 2023, with the rate of admissions per 100,000 total population decreasing from 332 per 100,000 in 2022 to 304 in 2023.
Depressive disorders accounted for the highest proportion of all adult admissions, followed by schizophrenia.
The findings from the Health Research Board’s (HRB) National Psychiatric Inpatient Reporting System (NPIRS) also found that admissions who were new to in-patient treatment increased by 426 (eight per cent), from 5,412 in 2022 to 5,838 in 2023.
There were 15,413 discharges and 80 deaths in adult psychiatric units and hospitals in 2023 and there was an equal proportion of male and female admissions.
Research officer at the HRB and co-author of the report, Antoinette Daly, said: “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 or fear-related disorders/OCD/stress-related disorders being the second and third most common diagnoses respectively.”
Child and adolescent admissions
There were 322 admissions for under 18s in 2023, down from 366 in 2022, and 509 in 2021.
Seven in 10 admissions for under 18s were female.
Three in 10 of all admissions were aged 17 years on admission; one in four were aged 16 years; 18 per cent were aged 15 years; 16 per cent were aged 14 years, and nine per cent were aged 13 years and under on admission.
The two most common diagnoses for admissions under 18 were eating disorders (24 per cent, up from 22 per cent in 2022) and depressive disorders (24 per cent, relatively unchanged from 23 per cent in 2022).
This was followed by anxiety or fear-related disorders/OCD/stress-related disorders (21 per cent, up from 16 per cent in 2022) and schizophrenia (10 per cent).
Females accounted for nine in 10 (92 per cent) of all admissions for eating disorders.
The proportion of admissions with a primary diagnosis of eating disorders for all under 18s has progressively increased from 11 per cent in 2019 to 24 per cent in 2023.
Commenting on trends observed, 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 11 per cent in 2019 to 24 per cent in 2023.
"For the first time, eating disorders accounted for the highest proportion of all under 18 admissions along with depressive disorders.”
