A rural/urban comparison of psychiatric inpatient admissions in Ireland

Purpose: There is a body of evidence that indicates mental illnesses are more prevalent in urban settings. However, to date no research has been carried out on the urban/rural incidence of mental illness in Ireland. This paper seeks to examine the micro level determinants of admissions to psychiatric hospitals between urban and rural areas. Design/methodology/approach: Data from the National Psychiatric In-patient Reporting System (NPIRS) and multivariate regression models are used. Findings: Results from this analysis found that, in Ireland, rural residents had a higher probability of being admitted to a psychiatric hospital for schizophrenia and depression compared to urban residents. Research limitations/implications: The results presented here are only applicable to individuals that have been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Findings cannot be extrapolated to the general population. Future research will involve the simulation of mental health characteristics for the entire Irish population. Originality/value: The analysis presented in the paper contributes to the current understanding of the social and spatial profile of psychiatric admissions in Ireland, whilst providing additional research to the international debate regarding urban/rural differentials in acute psychiatric hospital admissions.