Pearson's correlation coefficient

TLDR

Researchers examined how the annual number of involuntary mental disorder admissions under the Mental Health Act 1983 related to the number of NHS psychiatric beds in England. They performed a retrospective analysis of hospital episode statistics from 1996 to 2006, collecting yearly counts of NHS psychiatric beds and combined involuntary admissions. The study found a strong negative correlation (r = −0.94, p < 0.001) between decreasing psychiatric bed numbers and increasing involuntary admissions, with beds falling by 29% over the decade.

Abstract

Researchers investigated the relation between the number of involuntary admissions (detentions) for mental disorders a year under the Mental Health Act 1983 and the number of NHS psychiatric beds each year in England. They used hospital episode statistics from 1996 to 2006 in a retrospective analysis. For each year they obtained the number of available NHS psychiatric beds—defined as those beds for patients with mental disorders or learning disabilities—and the number of involuntary admissions for mental disorders in NHS hospital and private facilities combined.1 It was reported that the number of NHS psychiatric beds fell in each successive year and that overall from 1996 to 2006 the number had decreased by 29%. A significant correlation existed between the number of psychiatric NHS beds each year and the combined number of involuntary admissions for mental disorders to NHS and private facilities under the Mental Health Act 1983 (Pearson correlation coefficient r =−0.94 (P<0.001)).