Hostels a last resort for WA patients

The West Australian government says it has "no formal arrangements" with backpacker hostels to house discharged mental health patients, but some are checked in if they have nowhere else to go.

A Health Department spokesman said several community-based support services were provided across the state for patients, but they were sometimes discharged into backpacker hostels if family support or low-cost rental accommodation was not available.

"The majority of patients return to the family home or the accommodation they were in prior to admission. If this is not possible, alternative arrangements are made," he said.

Mental health advocate Debora Colvin said patients must be given more stability and support after their discharge, or it could affect their recovery.

"If you're going into a backpackers, there are no qualified people on-site - why would there be?" Ms Colvin told AAP.

"Secondly, you've got people that may not even understand mental illness, which may cause problems in itself.

"That is all stress, and stress does not help recovery. In fact, it can make it worse."

There are currently 766 specialised mental health beds in the public hospital system, according to WA Health, while funding is also provided to "step-down" facilities and licensed psychiatric hostels as well as private organisations.

The WA Health spokesman said mental health patients were followed up with seven days after discharge.