The number of patients who have received hospital treatment for mood disorders in England has decreased by a third in five years, as the NHS grapples with a chronic shortage of mental health beds.
According to NHS Digital data, more than 23,000 people sought NHS hospital treatment for mood disorders in the country in 2017-18. But by 2021-22, this had dropped to 15,532.
The highest fall was among black patients, with the number of hospital admissions almost halving from 1,209 in 2017-18 to 610 in 2021-22.
Charities have warned the apparent decrease does not indicate a fall in the number of people experiencing mental health problems, but rather is indicative of the increasing difficulties in accessing hospital treatment.
The data refers to finished admission episodes where mood disorder was a primary diagnosis, with the NHS’s definition referring to a range of illnesses including bipolar disorder and depression.
Lucy Schonegevel, associate director of policy and practice at Rethink Mental Illness, said the number of people being admitted to hospital for mood disorders should not be accepted as a “face value” sign that fewer people are becoming unwell.
She said: “Instead, it is a potential warning that people may be struggling to access the treatment they need.
“There are several explanations why hospital admissions may have fallen, including some positives, but it does speak more to the complex web of care and support people have to navigate – and a system creaking under strain – rather than a drop in demand.
“First, positive explanations behind the decrease include the investment in community mental health services in recent years as part of the NHS long-term plan, which could in some areas be starting to reduce the number of hospitalisations.
“However, we also know that wards often don’t have enough space to admit people presenting with mental health needs who need life-saving treatment, pushing the threshold for inpatient treatment dangerously high.
“This lack of capacity is often due to delayed discharge, when people deemed well enough to leave hospital and restart their lives can’t be discharged due to a lack of social care or supported accommodation.
“The answer to this complex equation is not simply to increase the number of beds, but to look at the broader offer of support which helps people to stay well and escape the revolving door of inpatient care.
“Mental health services cannot recover from decades of historic underfunding without thorough reform and investment in our social care system.”
Dr Adrian James, the president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “It is deeply troubling to see such a significant drop in the number of people seeking treatment for mood disorders. Research into why this decline occurred is needed so that we can better understand how to reverse it and provide targeted support to the groups who are worst affected.
“People who seek help can often find that services are understaffed and under-resourced, which may discourage them from looking for more support in the future.
“Early intervention is not only key to preventing mood disorders from becoming worse but also eases pressure on our mental health services. The government must invest more in these services so that we are able to provide the level of care that people need.”
The Department of Health and Social Care said: “It is important we do everything we can to support people’s mental health. We are investing at least £2.3bn additional funding a year by 2023-24 to expand and transform mental health services in England so that 2 million more people will be able to get the mental health support they need.
“Under the NHS long-term plan, we are prioritising expanding community-based services for people who require them.”
