Abera, Selam(MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, AAU CHS, SOM, Department of Psychiatry)Alem, Atalay(MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, AAU, CHS, SOM, Department of Psychiatry )Bacha, Abdi2021-02-212023-11-052021-02-212023-11-052020-10http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/25157Background: Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital which is situated in the capital, Addis Ababa is the only mental health hospital in Ethiopia. The hospital has a huge burden in offering both inpatient and outpatient services for patients who come from all regions of the country. Having access to this hospital for treatment and continuing follow-up is also a challenge for many patients. Studying the characteristics of patients seen at this hospital will be a good input for the decentralization of mental health services which the country is implementing. Objective: To assess socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of new patients seen, and decisions made by clinicians who did the first evaluation, at AMSH. Methodology: A retrospective chart review of 384 new cases who had been seen at AMSH from September 11, 2019, to March 9, 2020, was done in August 2020. Sampling was done by systematic random sampling method. Data analysis was done by using SPSS V25. Result: The majority of patients were from Oromia 196(51%) followed by Addis Ababa 105(27.3 %). The majority of cases 298(77.6%) were labeled as regular after triage. The majority of patients 327 (85.2%) came without a referral. Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 180(46.9%) were the most common diagnosis followed by depressive disorders 63(16.4%) and epilepsy 29(7.6%). The majority of cases 338(88%) were managed as outpatient and prescribers with BSc or MSc in psychiatry 91(48.4%) were the most common clinicians identified to do the first evaluation for the new cases followed by GPs 48(25.5%). Of total patients, 359(93.5%) did not require medications other than risperidone, chlorpromazine, haloperidol, diazepam, clonazepam, amitriptyline, fluoxetine, sodium valproate, phenobarbital, and benzhexol(Artane). Conclusion: The majority of new patients come to AMSH for a service that can be provided at primary health care units. Increasing public awareness about mental health services and strengthening mental health services provided in primary health care units and other hospitals by stakeholders is recommended to decrease patient overload at AMSH and help the patients in getting mental health services in their vicinity.en-USMental health , mental health hospital ,inpatient ,outpatient servicesThesis