The Hanover County Community Profile: Mental Health Services

Mental Health Services, Intellectual Disabilities Services and Substance Abuse Services are provided by the Hanover County Community Services Board.

Mental health client characteristics indicate that men and women are equally likely to require Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities services; however, men are 1.7 times more likely to require substance abuse services (2003 data). Five years' data suggest that there was a slight increase in the need for mental health and intellectual disabilities services between 1998 and 2003. (It should be noted that the data for all MH/MR/SA services is missing for the year 2000. To examine the possibility of trends, the 1999 and 2001 data in all categories was averaged for 2000.)

Substance abuse clients declined from 1999 to 2002, but experienced an increase in 2003. Substance abuse clients aged thirteen to seventeen increased between 1999 and 2001, then began a downward trajectory in 2002 and 2003.

The number of adults and children hospitalized with mental health diagnoses, including substance abuse, have remained relatively steady for fiscal years 2001 through 2004, averaging 214 adults and 53 children each year. On average, more men (83) were hospitalized than women (72); however, boys and girls were hospitalized in equal numbers when averaged over the four year period. There was a 16% decrease in involuntary commitments between 2001 and 2002, leveling off for years 2003 and 2004. The police are the most common referral source for both voluntary and involuntary hospitalizations. Consult the following table for additional information on voluntary and involuntary mental health, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse commitments.

MH/MR/SA Hospitalizations