Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News
May 8, 2007, Vol. 07-77

One in Four Hospital Patients Is Admitted with a Mental Health or Substance Abuse Disorder/1.2 Million Experienced Adverse Drug Event

A new Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report shows that almost one-fourth of all stays in U.S. community hospitals for patients age 18 and older-7.6 million of nearly 32 million stays-involved depressive, bipolar, schizophrenia and other mental health disorders or substance use related disorders in 2004. This study presents the first documentation of the full impact of mental health and substance abuse disorders on U.S. community hospitals. About 1.9 million of the 7.6 million stays were for patients who were hospitalized primarily because of a mental health or substance abuse problem. In the other 5.7 million stays, patients were admitted for another condition but they also were diagnosed as having a mental health or substance abuse disorder. Nearly two-thirds of costs were billed to the government: Medicare covered nearly half of the stays, and 18 percent were billed to Medicaid. Roughly 8 percent of the patients were uninsured. Private insurers were billed for the balance. The study also found that one of every three stays of uninsured patients was related to a mental health or substance abuse disorder. Select to read the factbook, Care of Adults with Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders in U.S. Community Hospitals, 2004.

AHRQ also reported that in 2004, 1.2 million hospitalized patients experienced an adverse drug event, 90 percent of which were due to a side effect from a medication that was properly administered. Average total hospital costs for patients who experienced drug side effects or other adverse drug events were $10,100, compared with an average cost of $7,600 for patients who didn't experience adverse drug events. [Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HCUP, Statistical Brief #29: Adverse Drug Events in U.S. Hospitals, 2004, statistical brief.]

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The Center for Mental Health Services is a component of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, United States Department of Health and Human Services.