Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T07:23:51.108Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Glynn Harrison*
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, University of Bristol
Bernard Ineichen
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, University of Bristol, 39/41 St. Michael's Hill, Bristol; (now Research Officer, Bath Health Authority)
Janet Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, University of Bristol
H. G. Morgan
Affiliation:
University of Bristol
*
Reprint requests: Dr G. Harrison, Consultant Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham.

Summary

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.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1984 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

Bagley, C. (1971) Mental illness in immigrant minorities in London. Journal of Biosocial Sciences, 3, 449459.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bean, P. (1980) Compulsory Admissions to Mental Hospitals: Chichester: John Wiley.Google Scholar
Brewin, C. (1980) Explaining the lower rates of psychiatric treatment among Asian immigrants to the United Kingdom: a preliminary study. Social Psychiatry, 15, 1719.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cochrane, R. (1977) Mental illness in immigrants to England and Wales: An analysis of mental hospital admissions, 1971. Social Psychiatry, 12, 2535.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Community Relations Council (1974) Facts and figures about commonwealth immigrants. London: CRC.Google Scholar
Dawson, H. A. R. (1971) Factors differentiating compulsory and informal admissions to hospital. M.Phil. Thesis: University of London.Google Scholar
Hemsi, L. K. (1967) Psychiatric morbidity in West Indian immigrants. Social Psychiatry, 2, 95100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hitch, P. J. & Clegg, P. (1980) Modes of referral of overseas immigrant and native-born first admissions to psychiatric hospital. Social Sciences and Medicine, 14A, 369374.Google ScholarPubMed
Ineichen, B. (in press) Mental illness among new commonwealth migrants to Britain. In Mobility and Migration, (ed. Boyce, A.) London: Taylor and Francis.Google Scholar
Ineichen, B., Harrison, G. & Morgan, H. G. (1984) Psychiatric hospital admissions in Bristol—I: geographic and ethnic factors, British Journal of Psychiatry, 00, 000000.Google Scholar
Kiev, A. (1963) Beliefs and delusions of West Indian immigrants to London. British Journal of Psychiatry, 109, 356363.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lipsedge, M. & Littlewood, M. (1981) Some social and phenomenological characteristics of psychotic immigrants. Psychological Medicine, 11, 289302.Google Scholar
Littlewood, R. & Lipsedge, M. (1981) Acute psychotic reactions in Caribbean-born patients. Psychological Medicine, 11, 303318.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morgan, H. G. (1976) Unpublished material.Google Scholar
Mountney, G. H., Fryers, T. & Freeman, H. L. (1969) Psychiatric emergencies in an urban borough. British Medical Journal, 1, 485491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rwegellera, G. G. C. (1980) Differential use of psychiatric services by West Indians, West Africans, and English in London. British Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 428432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rwegellera, G. G. C. (1977) Psychiatric morbidity among West African and West Indians living in London. Psychological Medicine, 7, 317329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Szmukler, G. I., Bird, A. S. & Button, E. J. (1981) Compulsory admissions in a London borough: i. Social and Clinical features and a follow-up. Psychological Medicine, 11, 617636.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Szmukler, G. I. (1981) Compulsory admissions in a London borough: ii. Circumstances surrounding admission: service implications. Psychological Medicine, 11, 825838.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sims, A. C. P. & Symonds, R. L. (1975) “Psychiatric referrals and the police.” British Journal of Psychiatry, 127, 171178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.