Psychiatric Hospital Admissions in Bristol. II. Social and Clinical Aspects of Compulsory Admission

Abstract

Three groups of patients admitted compulsorily from populations with markedly different rates of compulsory psychiatric admissions were compared on a range of social and clinical data. Whilst West Indian and white patients from inner city areas differed in many respects, they were both more likely than other patients to be referred to the psychiatric services through police agencies, with little GP involvement and were often admitted from public places following disturbed behaviour. However, levels of violence and threatening behaviour were no higher among inner city patients, black or white, and once admitted, these groups showed similar treatment compliance to white patients who had been admitted compulsorily from suburban areas. Implications for primary care and delivery of psychiatric services are discussed.

Exploring the Complexity of Compliance in Schizophrenia

“…In contrast, Tunnicliffe, Harrison, and Standen (1992) investigated aspects of community psychiatric care in an Afro-Caribbean community and found that ethnicity was not a major factor affecting compliance with depot medication. Most studies show little or no association between socio-demographic factors and compliance (Buchanan, 1992;Harrison, Ineichen, Smith, & Morgan, 1984;Owen, Fischer, Booth, & Cuffel, 1996;Razali & Yahya, 1995;Sellwood & Tarrier, 1994).…”

The TAPS Project. 6: New Long-Stay Psychiatric Patients and Social Deprivation

“…The statistical techniques used here can now give numerical values to the associations between social deprivation within inner-city areas and rates of treated mental disorder, associations which have previously been documented descriptively in Chicago, Bristol, Nottingham, and Mannheim (Fans & Dunham, 1939;Hare, 1956;Harrison et al, 1984;Ineichen et al, 1984;Giggs & Cooper, 1987;Maylath et a!, 1989). There is supportive evidence for these quantitative associations from three other sources.…”

Schizophrenia in British Afro-Caribbeans: Two Debates Confused?

“…There is evidence of hostility among black patients to the psychiatric services, which some see as racist and coercive (Cope, 1989) and there is also evidence of hostility to other parts of the health and welfare services (Donovan, 1986). There have been suggestions that black patients are perceived as hostile and aggressive by health workers but this received only qualified support from the literature (Bolton, 1984;Harrison et al 1984;Dunn & Fahy, 1990;Soothill et al 1990, Pipe et al 1991). …”

“…Black people have been shown repeatedly to be more likely to be admitted compulsorily, under a section of the Mental Health Act (Ineichen, 1986;Cope, 1989;Pipe et al 1991;Owens et al 1991). Police are more likely to be involved, and GPs less likely, when the compulsory admission concerns an Afro-Caribbean patient (Harrison et al 1984;Owens al. 1991).…”