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As good as it gets : an empirical study on mentally-ill patients and their stay at a general hospital in Sweden, 1896–1905

Appelquist, Malin LU ; Brådvik, Louise LU ; Ottosson, Ingemar and Åsberg, Marie (2019) In History of Psychiatry 30(2). p.205-226
Abstract

General hospital care and treatment of mentally ill patients in a Swedish town was studied in records for 503 patients, 1896–1905. Restraint was extremely rare; 65% left the hospital as healthy or improved. Non-psychotic and alcoholic patients spent fewer days in hospital than patients with psychosis or dementia. There was no evidence of a social status bias. For 36% of the patients a certificate for mental hospital care was issued, with additional information. The cause of illness was stated as unknown for 42% of these patients; adverse circumstances were recorded for 18%. Heredity for mental illness was found in 50% of the patients, particularly in those with mania. Patients with a higher social status were underrepresented.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
19th century, Gender, general hospital psychiatry, history, precipitating events, sociodemographic factors, state at discharge, Sweden, treatment
in
History of Psychiatry
volume
30
issue
2
pages
205 - 226
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • pmid:30672342
  • scopus:85060719279
ISSN
0957-154X
DOI
10.1177/0957154X18822930
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5b7d06cf-8081-4a40-8a8c-69d02f3fa372
date added to LUP
2019-02-06 15:52:10
date last changed
2024-01-15 13:54:35
@article{5b7d06cf-8081-4a40-8a8c-69d02f3fa372,
  abstract     = {{<p>General hospital care and treatment of mentally ill patients in a Swedish town was studied in records for 503 patients, 1896–1905. Restraint was extremely rare; 65% left the hospital as healthy or improved. Non-psychotic and alcoholic patients spent fewer days in hospital than patients with psychosis or dementia. There was no evidence of a social status bias. For 36% of the patients a certificate for mental hospital care was issued, with additional information. The cause of illness was stated as unknown for 42% of these patients; adverse circumstances were recorded for 18%. Heredity for mental illness was found in 50% of the patients, particularly in those with mania. Patients with a higher social status were underrepresented.</p>}},
  author       = {{Appelquist, Malin and Brådvik, Louise and Ottosson, Ingemar and Åsberg, Marie}},
  issn         = {{0957-154X}},
  keywords     = {{19th century; Gender; general hospital psychiatry; history; precipitating events; sociodemographic factors; state at discharge; Sweden; treatment}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{205--226}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{History of Psychiatry}},
  title        = {{As good as it gets : an empirical study on mentally-ill patients and their stay at a general hospital in Sweden, 1896–1905}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0957154X18822930}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/0957154X18822930}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}