More men with mental problems

Males outnumber females by a ratio of almost three to one in admissions to the Psychiatric Hospital.

This trend was evident during the period 2013 through 2016. Schizophrenia was the most common disorder but substance abuse and depression were also high on the list among inmates at this island’s lone mental health institution, which has a bed count of 535.

“The hospital has an occupancy rate of about 96 or 97 per cent, so on any given day, we may have about 530 patients. But this number can go as low as 500 at times,” said director of the Psychiatric Hospital, David Leacock. Of this number, approximately 400 of those are males.

“As a result of this, we have actually downsized our female wards to make provision for the increased number of males.” (JB)

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