Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T06:48:49.388Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Hampstead Schizophrenia Survey 1991

I: Prevalence and service use comparisons in an inner London health authority, 1986–1991

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Siobhan E. Jeffreys*
Affiliation:
Royal Free Hospital, London
Carol A. Harvey
Affiliation:
Mental Health Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
Alan S. McNaught
Affiliation:
Royal Free Hospital, London
Anthony S. Quayle
Affiliation:
Royal Free Hospital, London
Michael B. King
Affiliation:
Royal Free Hospital, London
Anne S. Bird
Affiliation:
Royal Free Hospital, London
*
Academic Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG

Abstract

Background

A point prevalence study al schizophrenia was carried out in 1986 in the former Hampstead Health District using a key informant method to identify cases. The point prevalence al broadly defined schizophrenia was 4.7 per 1000.

Method

A repeat census al people with schizophrenia, using the same method, was carried out in 1991 and the point prevalence calculated. The accuracy al the census method was estimated. Contact with services, social and occupational activity, and medication usage in the 1986 and 1991 samples were compared.

Results

The point prevalence rate al broadly defined schizophrenia in 1991 was 5.1 per 1000. The results al both censuses showed we underestimated the number of individuals with DSM-III-R positive schizophrenia by about 14%. The level of contact with specialist services was greater in 1991 than 1986. Patients in 1991 were discharged on higher doses of medication, and their most recent admission was more likely to be due to non-compliance, than the 1986 group.

Conclusion

The point prevalence confirmed the high rate reported in 1986. The accuracy of the census was within acceptable limits for service planning. Contact with specialist services increased between 1986 and 1991.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Altman, G. (1992) Practical Statistics for Medical Research. London: Chapman and Hall Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association (1987) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn, revised) (DSM-III-R). Washington. DC: APA.Google Scholar
Bamrah, J. S., Freeman, H. L. & Goldberg, D. P. (1991) Epidemiology of schizophrenia in Salford. 1974–1984. Changes in an urban community over ten years. British Journal of Psychiatry. 159, 802810.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brewin, C. R., Wing, J. K., Mangen, S. P., et al 1988) Needs for care among the long-term mentally ill: a report from the Camberwell High Contact Survey. Psychological Medicine. 18, 457468.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, L. M. & Tower, J. E. C. (1990) Psychiatrists in primary care: would general practitioners welcome them? British Journal of General Practice. 40, 369371.Google Scholar
Conway, A. S., Melzer, D. K. & Hale, A. S. (1994) The outcome of targeting community mental health services: evidence from the West Lambeth schizophrenia cohort. British Medical Journal. 308, 627630.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Department of Health Social Services Inspectorate (1991) Care Management and Assessment. Summary of Practice Guidance. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Feighner, J. P., Robins, E., Guze, S., et al (1972) Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research. Archives of General Psychiatry, 26, 5762.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freeman, H. & Alpert, M. (1986) Prevalence of schizophrenia in an urban population. British Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 603611.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harvey, C. A. (1996) The Camden Schizophrenia Surveys, I: The psychiatric, behavioural and social characteristics of the severely mentally ill in an inner London health district. British Journal of Psychiatry 168 410417.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harvey, C. A., Pantelis, C., Taylor, J., et al (1996) The Camden Schizophrenia Surveys. II: High prevalence of schizophrenia in an inner London borough and its relationship to sociodemographic factors. British Journal of Psychiatry, 168, 418426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hirsch, S. E. & Barnes, T. R. E. (1994) Clinical use of high dose neuroleptics. British Journal of Psychiatry, 164, 9496.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jarman, B. (1983) Identification of underprivileged areas. British Medical journal, 286, 17051709.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jarman, B. (1984) Underprivileged areas: validation and distribution of scores. British Medical Journal. 289, 15871592.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnstone, E. C., Owens, D. G. C., Gold, A., et al (1984) Schizophrenia patients discharged from hospital-a follow-up study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 586590.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
King, M. B. (1992) Management of patients with schizophrenia in general practice. British Journal of General Practice, 42, 310311.Google ScholarPubMed
Leif, J. (1993) The TAPS Project: Evaluating community placement of long-stay psychiatric patients. British Journal of Psychiatry 162 (suppl. 19), 156.Google Scholar
Lelliott, R., Audini, B. & Darroch, N. (1995) Resolving London's bed crisis: there might be a way, is there a will? Psychiatric Bulletin, 19, 273275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCreadie, R. M. (1982) The Nithsdale schizophrenia survey: I. Psychiatric and social handicaps. British journal of Psychiatry 140, 582586.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
NHS Health Advisory Service (1995) A Place in Mind. Commissioning and Providing Mental Health Services for People who are Homeless. London: HMSO Google Scholar
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (1991) Census 1991. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Phelan, M., Slade, M., Thornicroft, G., et al (1995) The Camberwell Assessment of Need: The validity and reliability of an instrument to assess the needs of people with severe mental illness. British journal of Psychiatry 167, 589595.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scott, J. (1993) Homelessness and mental illness. British Journal of Psychiatry. 162, 314324.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shepperd, R. (1993) Readmissions of long-stay psychiatric patients to the acute services from hostels in the community. Psychiatric Bulletin, 17, 524525.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strathdee, G. (1988) Psychiatrists in primary care: the general practitioner viewpoint. Family Practice, 5, 111115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Torray, E. F. (1987) Prevalence studies in schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 598608.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Puttan, T., Mardar, S. R. & Mintz, J. (1990) A controlled dose comparison of haloperidol in newly admitted schizophrenic patients. Archives of General Psychiatry, 47, 754758.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Von Korff, M., Nastadt, G., Romamki, A., at of (1985) Prevalence of treated and untreated DSM-III schizophrenia. Results of a two stage community survey. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 173, 577581.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wing, J. K. (1989) Introduction to the register and plan of the book. In Health Services Planning and Resources: Contributions from Psychiatric Case Registers (ed. J. K. Wing), pp 39. London: Gaskell.Google Scholar
Wing, J. K. & Brown, G.W. (1970) Institutionalisation and Schizophrenia: A Comparative Study of Three Mental Hospitals 1960–68. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Youssef, H. A., Kirwella, A. & Waddington, J. L. (1991) Evidence for geographical variations in prevalence of schizophrenia in rural Ireland Archives of General Psychiatry 48, 254258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.