Maudsley Hospital Survey: prevalence of alcohol problems and other psychiatric disorders in a hospital population

This study, the first of its kind in the United Kingdom, reports on the prevalence of alcohol problems and other psychiatric disorders in the Joint Maudsley and Bethlem Royal Hospital population over a 12 year period. The steady 9–11% of the total number of diagnoses that are alcoholic, forces home the realization of the significant contribution of drinking problems to the work load of the hospital. The consistency of the percentage of alcoholics who receive an additional diagnosis, 30–40%, has considerable implications for treatment, treatment service planning and the understanding of aetiological factors.