I
SECTION I
INTRODUCTION Current Annual Report
This report presents statistics on patients in private institutions for the care of the men- tally defective and epileptic. It is based on data compiled in the 28th Annual Census of Pa tients in Mental Institutions, the seventh such census to be conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health. The tabulations made are comparable to those in earlier publications. They consist of a bookkeeping account of the flow of patients in and out of private institutions and statistics on certain characteristics of first admissions. The generous cooperation of the superin tendents and staffs of the individual private institutions supplying data is gratefully acknowl edged. Without their as sistance this report could not be made. This
in private tally defective
in
Previous
Reports
historical account of the develop – of the Annual Census of Mental Patients
A detailed ment
can be found in “Patients in Mental Institutions: 1947’’ pp. 1-4, National Institute of Mental Health, Public Health Service. From 1933, the first year in which annual enumerations of patients in private institutions for mental defectives and epileptics was begun, through 1938, data were published in a separate volume from the data on hospitals for mental disease. From 1937 through 1951 all data on the above types of facilities were published in one volume but in separate sections of the
report. This volume is entitled
publication
No. 495.
Part IV of P.H.S.
Prior parts supplied data
public institutions for mental defectives and epileptics (Part I), public hospitals for men tal disease (Part II), and private hospitals for mental disease and general hospitals with psychiatric facilities (Part III). One more part, Part V presenting trend tables for the period 1942 through 1953 and special tables based on 1953 data for all mental hospitals and institutions for mental defectives and epileptics will also be published. on
SECTION
º
II
SCOPE OF THE DATA
of
is
in
period covered this report for the year ending calendar December 31, 1953. Cer
- ain
these private institutions have fiscal
in
of
of
Coverage The
a
-
character
or clinical
of
to
ſectives and epileptics by selected istics, such as mental status diagnosis and age and sex.
of
in
of
the
pre
State and the United States, and data for first admissions of mental de
each sent
is
survey is designed to provide on an basis, information as to the extent of private institutional facilities use
The annual
years ending within the year, but they are rel atively few. Reporting was 74 percent complete with 115 the 156 known private institutions reporting. non-reporting institu While the percentage comparatively large, patients tions all private institutions represent very small proportion all mental defectives and epilep tics institutionalized. Therefore, the actual amount under reporting for all institutional ized mentally defective and epileptic patients is small. First admission data for mental defectives were reported for 90 and first admission data for epileptics for 109 the 115 reporting institutions. of
Purpose
SECTION
III Patient Population
of
at
a
of
of
population Statistics on the movement pa present formal accounting of the flow tients into and out of institutions for mental de fectives and epileptics during the year. The classification employed covers patients on the books the beginning the year, admission, separations, and patients on the books at the end used, the year. Each the categories together with its subclasses, listed and de
is
survey.
or
of
a
to
of
in
he
his
of
Data on Movement
Included the scope this report are all ‘nown private institutions for the care and reatment of mental defectives or epileptics. Such institutions are limited those provid ng residential care. There are number of lay centers and schools for the mentally handi apped from which the child returns home at end each day school period. These ion-residential schools are not included in
of
Institution Included
of
Type
of
DEFINITIONS
fined below.
