Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T21:39:50.690Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Social networks and service use among representative cases of psychosis in South London

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Thomas Becker ,
Graham Thornicroft ,
Morven Leese ,
Paul McCrone ,
Sonia Johnson ,
Maya Albert  and
David Turner
Thomas Becker*
Affiliation:
PRiSM (Psychiatric Research in Service Measurement), Institute of Psychiatry, London
Graham Thornicroft
Affiliation:
PRiSM (Psychiatric Research in Service Measurement), Institute of Psychiatry, London
Morven Leese
Affiliation:
PRiSM (Psychiatric Research in Service Measurement), Institute of Psychiatry, London
Paul McCrone
Affiliation:
PRiSM (Psychiatric Research in Service Measurement), Institute of Psychiatry, London
Sonia Johnson
Affiliation:
PRiSM (Psychiatric Research in Service Measurement), Institute of Psychiatry, London
Maya Albert
Affiliation:
PRiSM (Psychiatric Research in Service Measurement), Institute of Psychiatry, London
David Turner
Affiliation:
PRiSM (Psychiatric Research in Service Measurement), Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
Dr T. Becker. Section of Community Psychiatry (PRiSM). Institute of Psychiatry. De Crespigny Park. Denmark Hill. London SE5 8AF. Fax: 0171 277 1462
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Large social networks in patients with severe mental illness have been reported to be associated with a low rate of hospitalisation. We aim to determine whether social network size is related to the likelihood of hospitalisation and the amount of service use.

Method

As part of a prospective controlled study, baseline interview data for a random sample of one-year prevalent cases with non-organic psychosis were analysed with respect to social network characteristics and service use during a six-month period.

Results

The likelihood of hospitalisation decreased with an increase in network size, while the number of services used by patients grew as the social network size increased.

Conclusions

While larger social networks may be associated with a lower likelihood of hospitalisation, they may also be related to wider use of non-hospital services.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 171 , Issue 1 , July 1997 , pp. 15 - 19
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

Aberg-Wistedt, A., Cressell, T., Lidberg, Y., et al (1995) Two-year outcome of team-based intensive case management for patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatric Services, 46, 1263–1266.Google ScholarPubMed
American Psychiatric Association (1987) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn. revised) (DSM–III–R). Washington. DC: APA.Google Scholar
Beecham, J. & Knapp, M. (1992) Costing psychiatric interventions. In Measuring Mental Health Needs (eds Thorni-croft, G., Brewin, C. & Wing, J.), pp. 163–183. London: Gaskell.Google Scholar
Brugha, T. S. (ed.) (1995) Social Support and Psychiatric Disorder. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Cole, E., Leavey, G., King, M., et al (1995) Pathways to care for patients with a first episode of psychosis. A comparison of ethnic groups. British Journal of Psychiatry, 167, 770–776.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davies, S., Thornicroft, G., Leese, M., et al (1996) Ethnic differences in risk of compulsory psychiatric admission among representative cases of psychosis in London. British Medical Journal, 312, 533–537.Google Scholar
Dunn, M., O'Driscoll, C., Dayson, D., et al (1990) The TAPS project. 4: An observational study of the social life of long-stay patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 842–848.Google Scholar
Faccincani, C., Mignolli, G. & Platt, S. (1990) Service utilisation, social support and psychiatric status in a cohort of patients with schizophrenic psychoses: a 7 year follow-up study. Schizophrenia Research, 3, 139–146.Google Scholar
Fraser, M. W., Fraser, M. E. & Delewski, C. H. (1985) The community treatment of the chronically mentally ill: an exploratory social network analysis. Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal. IX, 35–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gourash, N. (1978) Help-seeking: a review of the literature. American Journal of Community Psychology, 6, 413–423.Google Scholar
Horwitz, A. (1977) Social networks and pathways to psychiatric treatment. Social Forces. 56, 86–105.Google Scholar
Horwitz, A. (1978) Family, kin and friend networks in psychiatric help-seeking. Social Science and Medicine, 12, 297–304.Google Scholar
Kent, S. & Yellowlees, P. (1995) The relationship between social factors and frequent use of psychiatric services. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 29, 403–408.Google Scholar
Lipton, F. R., Cohen, C. I., Fischer, E., et al (1981) Schizophrenia: a network crisis. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 7, 144–151.Google Scholar
McGuffin, P., Farmer, A. & Harvey, I. (1991) A poly-diagnostic application of operational criteria in studies of psychotic illness. Development and reliability of the OPCRIT system. Archives of General Psychiatry, 48, 764–770.Google Scholar
Mitchell, M. E. (1989) The relationship between social network variables and the utilization of mental health services. Journal of Community Psychology, 17, 258–266.Google Scholar
Monroe, S. M., Bromet, E. J., Connell, M. M., et al (1986) Social support, life events and depressive symptoms: a 1-year prospective study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 424–431.Google Scholar
Overall, J. E. & Gorham, D. R. (1962) The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Psychological Reports, 10, 799–812.Google Scholar
StataCorp (1995) STATA Reference Manual Release 4, vols I & 2. College Station. TX: Stata Press.Google Scholar
Thornicroft, G. & Breakey, W. R. (1991) The COSTAR programme I: Improving social networks of the long-term mentally ill. British Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 245–249.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1992a) Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (chief ed. Wing, J. K.). Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1992b) The ICD–10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders. Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva: WHO.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
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.