There is increasing evidence that the social and cultural characteristics of psychiatric patients have been changing over time. 1,2 It is important from a professional and public policy point of view to understand better the nature of these changes, and to what they are related. This paper presents data showing that: 1) psychiatric care is increasingly reaching patients of lower socio economic status, and 2) changes in patient characteristics are related to the growth in the pro portion of psychiatric care given in organisationally based non-private practice settings.
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