Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2025

Publication Title

Maine Rural Health Research Center Research & Policy Brief PB 89 April 2025

Abstract

  • From 2012 to 2021, the United States experienced significant shifts in the distribution of inpatient psychiatric beds away from psychiatric distinct part units (DPUs) in short-term medical hospitals in rural and urban areas, and towards freestanding inpatient psychiatric hospitals (IPHs) in urban areas.
  • While the number of DPU beds declined by 14.6% (775) in rural areas and 8.7% (2,834) in urban areas, the number of IPHs beds increased by 2.1% percent (120) in rural areas and 16.4% (7,851) in urban areas.
  • • Overall, rural areas experienced a 6.8% (755 beds) decline in the number of psychiatric beds operated by either DPUs or IPHs compared with a 6.2% (5,107 beds) increase in the number of psychiatric beds in urban areas.
  • • By 2021, inpatient psychiatric services were heavily concentrated in urban areas with urban areas having 8.3 times more beds (85,756) than rural areas (10,369). • The Northeast and Midwest Census regions lost inpatient psychiatric beds (558 and 235 respectively) while the South and West gained beds (3,508 and 1,547 respectively).

Comments

Support for this study was provided by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration cooperative agreement #U1CRH03716. The information, conclusions and opinions expressed are the authors’ and no endorsement by FORHP, HRSA, or HHS is intended or should be inferred.

Funding Organization

Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration

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