Ethnic differences in admissions to secure forensic psychiatry services

Persons of African-Caribbean origin are more frequently imprisoned, and increasing evidence suggests they are detained more frequently in psychiatric hospitals, following offending behaviour. To estimate population-based prevalence rates of treated mental disorder in different ethnic groups compulso...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of psychiatry 2000-09, Vol.177 (3), p.241-247
Main Authors: Coid, Jeremy, Kahtan, Nadji, Gault, Simon, Jarman, Brian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
African Americans
Censuses
Commitment of Mentally Ill - statistics & numerical data
Community-based programs
Convictions
England - epidemiology
Enumeration
Ethnic differences
Ethnic groups
Ethnic Groups - statistics & numerical data
Female
Females
Forensic psychiatry
Forensic Psychiatry - organization & administration
Forensic science
Hospitalization
Hospitals, Psychiatric - statistics & numerical data
Humans
Imprisonment
Male
Males
Mental disorders
Mental Disorders - ethnology
Mental Disorders - prevention & control
Mental health care
Minority & ethnic groups
Offending
Personality disorders
Population
Psychiatric hospitals
Psychiatry
Racial bias
Risk Factors
Social Control, Formal
Social Justice
Socioeconomic Factors
Wales - epidemiology
West Indies - ethnology
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Summary:Persons of African-Caribbean origin are more frequently imprisoned, and increasing evidence suggests they are detained more frequently in psychiatric hospitals, following offending behaviour. To estimate population-based prevalence rates of treated mental disorder in different ethnic groups compulsorily admitted to secure forensic psychiatry services. A survey was recorded of 3155 first admissions, from 1988 to 1994, from half of England and Wales, with 1991 census data as the denominator adjusted for under-enumeration. Compulsory admissions for Black males were 5.6 (CI 5.1-6.3) times as high as, and for Asian males were half, those for White males; for Black females, 2.9 (CI 2.4-4.6) times as high and for Asian females one-third of those for White females. Admissions of non-Whites rose over the study period. Patterns of offending and diagnoses differed between ethnic groups. Variations in compulsory hospitalisation cannot be entirely attributed to racial bias. Community-based services may be less effective in preventing escalating criminal and dangerous behaviour associated with mental illness in African-Caribbeans.
ISSN:0007-1250
1472-1465
DOI:10.1192/bjp.177.3.241