Surge in Rhode Islanders seeking mental health care

PROVIDENCE – During summer 2013, Butler Hospital’s daily inpatient census hovered at around 153. This summer, the daily census averaged 175 with peak days reaching over 190. Increased numbers of patients seeking mental health care were not just being seen at Butler, a psychiatric hospital, but also in the emergency departments of general hospitals across the state.

While one out of four Rhode Islanders struggle with a mental illness, data has shown that an average of only 50 percent seek care. The unprecedented number of patients seeking mental health care at Butler Hospital this summer may indicate more people are now reaching out for help.

The exact cause of this unprecedented high summer census is unknown; however, greater awareness of psychiatric illness, along with an increase in the number of people who have insurance due to the Affordable Care Act may be factors. “With the advent of the insurance exchange, more people are seeking the care they need,” said Dr. Lawrence Price, medical director at Butler. “Our data indicate that many of the patients we are seeing have not been hospitalized in the past, and the number of patients we are caring for that do not have insurance has decreased.”

Price also noted that for some patients, while mental illness was the primary reason for seeking care, the admission to Butler resulted in the opportunity to identify other physical health care needs that have also been overlooked due to lack of insurance.

- Advertisement -

In an effort to address the heightened need for inpatient psychiatric care in the Rhode Island community, Butler Hospital opened an Adult Inpatient Overflow unit on the weekends. Fully staffed, including physicians, nurses, activity therapists, social service clinicians and mental health workers, the unit enables Butler patients, who would otherwise have to wait in emergency departments for an available bed, to begin their care more quickly.

While this summer’s patient volume is a record high, it is part of a trend Butler began to see in February when the hospital struggled to meet community demand despite having recently opened a new 26-bed inpatient unit.

No posts to display