There were 15,578 admissions to adult psychiatric units and hospitals in 2024, a decrease of 53 admissions, from 15,631 in 2023. The rate of admissions decreased slightly, from 303.6 per 100,000 population in 2023 to 302.5 in 2024.

• As in 2023, first admissions accounted for 37% of all admissions in 2024. There was a 2% decrease in the number of first admissions, from 5,838 in 2023 to 5,706 in 2024.
• The rate of first admissions decreased from 113.4 per 100,000 in 2023 to 110.8 in 2024.
• Re-admissions accounted for 63% of all admissions (9,872), a rate of 191.7 per 100,000, up slightly from 190.2 in 2023.

p. 8 There were 345 admissions with no fixed abode in 2024, an increase from 302 in 2023 and 291 in 2022.

Forty-one per cent of all admissions with no fixed abode had a primary admission diagnosis of schizophrenia, 10% had a diagnosis of other drug disorders, 9% had a diagnosis of depressive disorders and 7% had a diagnosis of bipolar disorders. Almost 35% of all admissions with no fixed abode were involuntary.

p.10 Sligo had the highest rate of all admissions for alcohol-related disorders, at 34.2 per 100,000, followed by Roscommon, at 21.3, Carlow, at 21.0, and Leitrim, at 19.9.

Longford had the lowest rate of all admissions for alcohol-related disorders, at 4.3 per 100,000.

p.12 Fifty-three per cent of all discharges for behavioural and emotional disorders of childhood and adolescence, 45% of discharges for development disorders, 45% of discharges for personality and behavioural disorders and a further 45% with other drug disorders occurred within one week of admission. In contrast, smaller proportions of discharges with organic mental disorders (19%), schizophrenia (20%) and eating disorders (almost 15%) occurred within one week of admission.