Epidemiology of Mental and Behavioral Disorders Among the Elderly: Based on Data of Hospitalized Patients in Thailand 2010
Poonsri Rangseekajee MD*, Pattharee Paholpak MD*, Pongsatorn Paholpak MD*, Niramol Patjanasoontorn MD*, Suchat Paholpak MD*, Sumitr Sutra MD**
Affiliation : * Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand ** Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Background : To date, only small, selected groups of elderly hospitalized with mental and behavioral disorders (EHMBD)
have been studied. Since no national epidemiological studies have been published, the recent advent of universal healthcare
in Thailand makes doing such a study timely for improving the medical curricula and service provision.
Objective : To analyze the epidemiology of the EHMBD in the year 2010 of Thailand.
Material and Method: The data analyzed were gathered from Medical Expense Reimbursement forms submitted for the fiscal
year 2010. The particular focus of this research was on elderly inpatient aged 60 years and over with ICD-10 (for 2010)
diagnosis: F00-F99 Mental and Behavioral Disorders. The authors extracted and analyzed the number of in-patient
department (IPD) admissions, psychiatric diagnoses, length of hospital stays, hospital charges and mortality rate. Data were
analyzed using SPSS 17 for Windows.
Results : In 2010, EHMBD accounted for 11,418 admissions which was 1.56 admission per 1000 elderly people or 13.9% of
overall admission (19 years and over). Of the 11,418 admission, 44 died (0.39%). The mean in-patient charges/admission in
Thai Baht (SD) for the EHMBD with any F00-F99 diagnosis was 12,896 (51,659). The average range of stay was 8.3 + 22.2
days. The leading diagnosed clusters of behavioral and mental disorders were organic mental disorders (F00-F09: 23.8%),
neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (F40-F48: 21.1%); and mental and behavioral disorders due to use of
alcohol (F10: 20.3%). Alcohol use disorders among the elderly resulted in four times more men being hospitalized than
women. Regarding the F30-F39 cluster, mood (affective) disorders, the prevalence of depressive episodes increased with age
and bipolar affective disorder decreased with age.
Conclusion : The prevalence of hospitalization among the elderly with mental and behavioral disorders was about one-eighth
that of all admission of adult from 19 years old. Death was an uncommon result. The most common psychiatric diagnoses
were organic mental disorders, neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders and mental and behavioral disorders due
to use of alcohol.
Keywords : Elderly, Mental and behavioral disorders, Hospitalization, Organic mental disorders, Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders, Mental and behavioral disorders due to use of alcohol
