Utility and sufficiency of psychiatric inpatient units in general hospitals: a cross-sectional study in Tokyo

In order to investigate the utility and sufficiency of psychiatric beds in general hospitals (GHP beds), a cross-sectional study was performed in general hospitals all over Tokyo. Reasons for admission were acute-phase treatment (43%), medical comorbidity (15%), electroconvulsive therapy (13%), differential diagnosis (12%), and others (17%). The number of patients who could not be admitted to GHP beds despite appropriate reasons for admission was estimated to be greater than that of inpatients without indispensable reasons for admission to GHP beds on the day of the survey. GHP beds played the expected roles, and were in short supply.