Comparison of psychiatric admissions between city and country residents in Western Australia.

Data are presented of all patients with a primary psychiatric diagnosis who were admitted to all psychiatric and non-psychiatric hospitals, in Western Australia during 1976-78. Patients resident in the country were compared with those resident in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. A high proportion of both Perth and country residents were admitted under non-psychiatrists. Age standardised admission rates were highest for female country residents, the excess rate being mainly due to their very high rates of neurosis/personality disorder. The higher male admission rates for Perth compared with country residents were mainly due to higher Perth rates for alcoholism. The implications of these findings are discussed.