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Outcome of admission to a medium secure psychiatric unit

1. Short- and long-term outcome

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

A. Maden ,
S. Rutter ,
T. McClintock ,
C. Friendship  and
J. Gunn
A. Maden*
Affiliation:
Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London
S. Rutter
Affiliation:
Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London
T. McClintock
Affiliation:
Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London
C. Friendship
Affiliation:
Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London
J. Gunn
Affiliation:
Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
Dr Anthony Maden, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park. London SE5 8AF
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Abstract

Background

This is the first long-term follow-up of patients discharged from a medium secure unit.

Aims

To describe the short– and long-term outcomes of admission for all patients discharged during a 14-year period.

Method

A longitudinal cohort study of all 234 patients discharged from the Denis Hill Unit, Bethlem Royal Hospital, between 1980 and 1994, followed for an average 6.6 years.

Results

Although 48% of admissions were from prison, only 8% returned there, with most being transferred to another psychiatric bed. One-fifth of patients spent none of the follow-up time in the community; 75% of patients had at least one readmission; only 24% were convicted of further offences.

Conclusions

Re-offending rates are comparable with those for patients discharged from high-security hospitals, and much lower than those for released prisoners. The high readmission rates indicate the need for a range of services to maintain former patients in the community.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 175 , Issue 4 , October 1999 , pp. 313 - 316
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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Footnotes

†

See pp. 317–321, this issue.

Declaration of interest

The project was funded by a grant from the Department of Health.

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