Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T17:43:18.422Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Camden Schizophrenia Surveys

II. High Prevalence of Schizophrenia in an Inner London Borough and its Relationship to Socio-Demographic Factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Carol A. Harvey ,
Christos Pantelis ,
Jason Taylor ,
Patrick J. Mccabe ,
Karen Lefevre ,
Patrick G. Campbell  and
Steven R. Hirsch
Carol A. Harvey*
Affiliation:
Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School, Academic Unit, Horton Hospital, Epsom, Surrey KT19 8PZ
Christos Pantelis
Affiliation:
Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Research Unit, Mental Health Research Institute and The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Locked Bag 11, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
Jason Taylor
Affiliation:
Warley Hospital, Warley Hill, Brentwood, Essex CM14 5HQ
Patrick J. Mccabe
Affiliation:
Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE
Karen Lefevre
Affiliation:
Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3 2QG
Patrick G. Campbell
Affiliation:
Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3 2QG
Steven R. Hirsch
Affiliation:
Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School, London W6 8RP
*
Dr C. Harvey, Mental Health Research Institute, Locked Bag 11, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia. Fax: (00 613) 9387 5061
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Investigation of the geographical distribution of schizophrenia and its relationship to socio-demographic factors is useful for planning services.

Method

Individuals with schizophrenia (n=980) were identified by key informants within an inner London borough and point prevalence calculated for broad, Feighner and DSM–III–R schizophrenia. The distribution of cases was tested for significant variation using the Poisson process model. Regression models using the Jarman-8 score and its component variables were tested for their ability to predict the prevalence of schizophrenia.

Results

A high point prevalence of schizophrenia (5.3 per 1000 resident population) was demonstrated. Case distribution showed a marked and significant variation associated with socio-demographic factors. The prediction of prevalence was more accurate for broad than for narrower definitions of schizophrenia; unemployment rate performed best.

Conclusions

Unemployment rates and Jarman-8 scores may provide crude estimates for resource allocation in planning mental health services, highlighting the need for additional services in deprived inner city areas.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 168 , Issue 4 , April 1996 , pp. 418 - 426
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1996 

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

American Psychiatric Association (1987) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn, revised) (DSM–III–R). Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
Baldessarini, R. J. & Davis, J. M. (1980) What is the best maintenance dose of neuroleptics in schizophrenia? Psychiatry Research, 3, 115–122.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, 802–810.Google Scholar
Birley, J. L. T. & Brown, G. W. (1970) Crises and life changes preceding the onset or relapse of acute schizophrenia: clinical aspects. British Journal of Psychiatry, 116, 327–333.Google Scholar
Campbell, D., Radford, J. & Burton, P. (1991) Unemployment rates: An alternative to the Jarman index? British Medical Journal, 303, 750–755.Google Scholar
Campbell, P., Taylor, J., Pantelis, C., et al (1990) Studies of schizophrenia in a large mental hospital proposed for closure and in two halves of an inner London borough served by the hospital. In International Perspectives in Schizophrenia Research: Biological, Social and Epidemiological Findings (ed. Weller, M.), pp. 185–202. London: John Libbey.Google Scholar
Carpenter, W. T. Jr, Heinrichs, D. W. & Alphs, L. D. (1985) Treatment of negative symptoms. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 11, 440–452.Google Scholar
Cheadle, A. J., Freeman, H. L. & Korer, J. (1978) Chronic schizophrenic patients in the community. British Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 221–227.Google Scholar
Creer, C. & Wing, J. (1974) Schizophrenia at Home. Surbiton: National Schizophrenia Fellowship.Google Scholar
Dauncey, K., Giggs, J., Baker, K., et al (1993) Schizophrenia in Nottingham: lifelong residential mobility of a cohort British Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 613–619.Google Scholar
Faris, R. E. L. & Dunham, H. W. (1939) Mental Disorders in Urban Areas. An Ecological Study of Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Feighner, J. P., Rubins, E., Guze, S., et al (1972) Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research. Archives of General Psychiatry, 26, 57–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freeman, H. & Alpert, M. (1986a) Prevalence of schizophrenia in an urban population. British Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 603–611.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Freeman, H. & Alpert, M. (1986b) Prevalence of schizophrenia: geographical distribution within an urban population. British Journal of Clinical and Social Psychiatry, 4, 67–75.Google Scholar
Gibbons, J., Horn, S., Powell, J., et al (1984) Schizophrenic patients and their families. A survey in a psychiatric service based on a DGH unit. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 70–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giggs, J. (1983) Schizophrenia and ecological structure in Nottingham. In Geographical Aspects of Health, pp. 197–222. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Giggs, J. & Cooper, J. (1987) Ecological structure and the distribution of schizophrenia and affective psychoses in Nottingham. British Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 627–633.Google Scholar
Goodman, A. B., Siegel, C., Craig, T. J., et al (1983) The relationship between socioeconomic class and prevalence of schizophrenia, alcoholism, and affective disorders treated by inpatient care in a suburban area. American Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 166–170.Google Scholar
Hare, E. H. (1956) Mental illness and social conditions in Bristol. Journal of Mental Science, 102, 349–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harrison, G., Owens, D., Holton, A., et al (1988) A prospective study of severe mental disorder in Afro-Caribbean patients. Psychological Medicine, 18, 643–657.Google Scholar
Helzer, J. E., Brockington, I. F. & Kendell, R. E. (1981) Predictive validity of DSM–III and Feighner definitions of schizophrenia: A comparison with Research Diagnostic Criteria and CATEGO. Archives of General Psychiatry, 38, 791–797.Google Scholar
Hoenig, J. (1974) The schizophrenic patient at home. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 50, 297–308.Google Scholar
Huxley, P. & Kerfoot, M. (1993) Variation in requests to social services departments for assessment for compulsory psychiatric admission. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 28, 71–76.Google Scholar
Jarman, B. (1983) Identification of underprivileged areas. British Medical Journal, 286, 1705–1709.Google Scholar
Jarman, B. (1984) Underprivileged areas: validation and distribution of scores. British Medical Journal, 289, 1587–1592.Google Scholar
Jarman, B., Hirsch, S., White, P., et al (1992) Predicting psychiatric admission rates. British Medical Journal, 304, 1146–1151.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnstone, E. C. (1991) Disabilities and circumstances of schizophrenic patients – a follow-up study. British Journal of Psychiatry (suppl. 13), 1–46.Google Scholar
Johnstone, E. C., Owens, D. G. C., Gold, A., et al (1984) Schizophrenic patients discharged from hospital – a follow-up study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 586–590.Google Scholar
Kammerling, R. M. & O'Connor, S. (1993) Unemployment rate as predictor of rate of psychiatric admission. British Medical Journal, 307, 1536–1539.Google Scholar
Krawiecka, M., Goldberg, D. & Vaughan, M. (1977) A standardised psychiatric assessment scale for rating chronic psychotic patients. Acta Psychiatrica Scandmavica, 55, 299–308.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leff, J. (1993) The TAPS Project: Evaluating community placement of long-stay psychiatric patients. British Journal of Psychiatry (suppl. 19), 1–56.Google Scholar
Lewis, G., David, A., Andreasson, S., et al (1992) Schizophrenia and city life. Lancet, 340, 137–140.Google Scholar
Lomas, G., Ross, G., Watson, C., et al (1973) Poverty and Schizophrenia. London: Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.Google Scholar
London Research Centre (1991) 1990/91 Round of Greater London Demographic Projections Population Advice Note, 91–1. London. London Research Centre.Google Scholar
McCreadie, R. G. (1982) The Nithsdale schizophrenia survey: I. Psychiatric and social handicaps. British Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 582–586.Google Scholar
Norcliffe, G. B. (1977) Inferential Statistics for Geographers. London: Hutchinson.Google Scholar
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (1981) Census 1981. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (1991) Census 1991. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Pantelis, C. Taylor, J. & Campbell, P. (1988) The South Camden Schizophrenia Survey – An experience of community based research. Psychiatric Bulletin, 12, 98–101.Google Scholar
Royal College of Psychiatrists (1988) Psychiatric Beds and Resources: Factors Influencing Bed Use and Service Planning. Report of a Working Party of the Section for Social and Community Psychiatry. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.Google 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, 617–636.Google Scholar
Takei, N., O'Callaghan, E., Sham, P., et al (1992) Winter birth excess in schizophrenia: its relationship to place of birth. Schizophrenia Research, 6, 102.Google Scholar
Thornicroft, G. (1991) Social deprivation and rates of treated mental disorder. Developing statistical models to predict psychiatric service utilisation. British Journal of Psychiatry, 158, 475–484.Google Scholar
Thornicroft, G., Bisoffi, G., de Salvia, D., et al (1993) Urban–rural differences in the associations between social deprivation and psychiatric service utilization in schizophrenia and all diagnoses: a case-register study in Northern Italy. Psychological Medicine, 23, 487–496.Google Scholar
Thornicroft, G., Margolius, O. & Jones, D. (1992) The TAPS project. 6: New long-stay psychiatric patients and social deprivation. British Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 621–624.Google Scholar
Torrey, E. F. (1987) Prevalence studies in schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 598–608.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Turner, S. & Haskins, C. (1993) London capitation weighting: social deprivation, homelessness and mental health. Psychiatric Bulletin, 17, 641–646.Google Scholar
Watts, C. A. H. (1973) Review of schizophrenics in a rural practice over 26 years. British Medical Journal, 1, 465–469.Google Scholar
Wykes, T. & Sturt, E. (1986) The measurement of social behaviour in psychiatric patients: An assessment of the reliability and validity of the SBS schedule. British Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 1–11.Google Scholar
Youssef, H. A., Kinsella, A. & Waddington, J. L. (1991) Evidence for geographical variations in the prevalence of schizophrenia in rural Ireland. Archives of General Psychiatry, 48, 254–258.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.