Author:
Jamieson Elizabeth,Butwell Martin,Taylor Pamela,Leese Morven
Abstract
BackgroundSpecial hospitals in England provide psychiatric care and treatment in high security. Their future is often questioned.AimsTo test for variation in demand for high-security psychiatric services over one 10-year period.MethodThis study was from the special hospitals' case registers and hospital records. The main measures were numbers and annual rates for referrals and beds offered; the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) classification of mental disorder; adjusted population rates by health region; admission episodes; legal category of detention; admission source and type of offence.ResultsReferrals to special hospitals showed no decrease during the 10 years; an apparent increase may reflect under-recording before 1992. Admissions fell by about 16% over the 10 years, but with regional variation. Women, civil cases, admissions under the MHA classifications of psychopathic disorder or mental impairment and directly from a court on a hospital order were most affected. There was an increase in admissions of pre-trial and sentenced male prisoners, and of transferred hospital order patients from other hospitals.ConclusionsThere is continuing demand from all parts of the country for high-security hospital beds. The smaller numbers admitted appear to include more demanding cases.
Publisher
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Subject
Psychiatry and Mental health
Cited by
35 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献