The fill rate of psychiatrists in the Department of Psychiatry at National Mental Hospitals was only 49.1% as of 2025, indicating a serious manpower shortage. As a result, the average bed occupancy rate of national mental hospitals is very low at 25.5%, and some hospitals have even had to completely close their inpatient wards. The main causes of the manpower shortage are cited as a poor compensation system compared to private medical institutions and a reluctance to work in rural areas. The Ministry of Health and Welfare urged national mental hospitals to secure private-level salaries, introduce a performance-based pay system, and actively identify inpatient needs in areas requiring national intervention.
