HC Deb 30 November 1998 vol 321 c72W
Mr. Crausby

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population aged between 16 and 65 years have(a) suffered from mental illness, (b) been under the care of a psychiatrist and (c) attempted suicide. [60993]

Mr. Hutton

A survey conducted in Great Britain in 1993 established that about one in six adults between the ages of 16 and 64 suffered from a neurotic disorder in the week before interview and about four per thousand had suffered from a psychotic disorder in the previous twelve months. There was no significant difference in the rates for England. Not all of those with neurotic symptoms would need medical care and in most cases this could be provided by the patient's general practitioner.

Only a small proportion of mentally ill people will need in-patient care. Those patients with finished consultant episodes following admissions to hospitals are shown in the table.

Information on attempted suicides is not collected centrally. The nearest data relating to attempted suicides are on self-inflicted injury resulting in admission to hospital, for which data are collected centrally. This information is included in the table.

National Health Service hospital facilities 1995–96
End age 16–65 FCEs Percentage based on 1995 population estimate
Mental illness 154,560 0.5
Self-inflicted injury 56,200 0.2

Note:

FCE are Finished Concultant Episodes

Figure have been rounded to the whole number

Source:

HES:ONS

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