Psychiatric hospitals in high demand
More people with mood and eating disorders are going on waiting lists for private treatment as psychiatric hospitals in Perth struggle to keep up with demand.
The public health system routinely has no spare mental health beds, but private clinics are also increasing bed numbers and day programs.
The Hollywood Clinic in Nedlands is lifting the number of beds from 40 to 70 and adding facilities for inpatients, such as a gym, and fast-tracked admission.
Hollywood Private Hospital chief executive Peter Mott said demand has been building, particularly when it came to eating disorders and post-traumatic stress syndrome and mood disorders, including anxiety and depression.
"We're increasing our day programs to cater for issues such as eating disorders, because where it's practical it is better to have people using these instead of being in-patients," Mr Mott said.
"If we witness in the next five years what we have seen in the last five, we'll be looking at further expansion, particularly if, with service men and women returning from places like Afghanistan, we see a rise in people accessing post-traumatic stress services."
Perth Clinic acting chief executive Geoff Hooke said his hospital had 100 beds but was often full.
"Our biggest cases are anxiety and depression," he said.
Australian Medical Association WA psychiatry spokeswoman Alexandra Welborn said the high demand was not surprising.
"The mental health system is under breaking point strain but it's not so much about more beds as specialist mental health services in the community to stop people having to go into hospital," Dr Welborn said.
"We have the terrible state of young people aged 12, 13 or 14 presenting to EDs who are self-harming or suicidal but the answer for them is not wards but supported care in their own homes."
If you or someone you know is in distress, phone Lifeline on 13 11 14.
