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‘Mentally disordered persons found in public places’ Diagnostic and social aspects of police referrals (Section 136)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

T. H. Turner ,
M. N. Ness  and
C. T. Imison
T. H. Turner*
Affiliation:
Community Psychiatry Research Unit, Hackney Hospital, London
M. N. Ness
Affiliation:
Community Psychiatry Research Unit, Hackney Hospital, London
C. T. Imison
Affiliation:
Community Psychiatry Research Unit, Hackney Hospital, London
*
1 Address for correspondence: Dr T. H. Turner, Community Psychiatry Research Unit, Hackney Hospital, Homerton High Street, London E9 6BE.
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Synopsis

A survey over 2 years of all Police Referrals (Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983) in an inner-city health district identified 163 cases, with a core group of repeat referrals. Previous psychiatric admissions, a diagnosis of schizophrenia, social deprivation, and a bias towards young men of Afro-Caribbean ethnicity were key features. The difficulty of obtaining clear data and uncertainties within the law rebound unfairly on patients, police and psychiatrists. Section 136, while not inappropriate diagnostically, can be seen as highlighting unmet social and medical needs in the context of community care. The requirement for coordinated resources, including acute in-patient services sufficient for deprived populations and legal provision for treatment beyond a hospital's boundaries, seems paramount.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , August 1992 , pp. 765 - 774
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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