Skip to main content
Log in

The pattern of psychiatric admissions of Caribbean-born immigrants in London

  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Data from the mental health enquiry and the 1981 census are used to describe the age/sex specific pattern of first and total admissions of West Indian born patients to psychiatric hospitals in two Thames Regions. By contrast to native Britons, more young men, but not young women, appear to be admitted but the readmission rate for young patients of both sexes is high. Older West Indians of both sexes have a similar first admission rate to the native British. Older men but not older women have a low overall admission rate. Time trends suggest that there is a cohort of young men of whom the oldest are now in their early thirties who are at particular risk.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baldwin J (1971) The mental hospital in the psychiatric service. Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust

  • Bebbington PE, Hurry J, Tennant C (1981) Psychiatric disorders in selected immigrant groups in Camberwell. Soc Psychiatry 16: 43–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke AW (1973) The consequences of unplanned repatriation. Br J Psychiatry 123: 109–111

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burke AW (1974) First admissions and planning in Jamaica. Soc Psychiatry 9: 39–45

    Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter L, Brockington IF (1980) A study of mental illness in Asians, West Indians and Africans living in Manchester. Br J Psychiatry 137: 201–205

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cochrane R (1977) Mental illness in immigrants to England and Wales. Soc Psychiatry 12: 25–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Dean G, Walsh D, Downing H, Shelly E (1981) First admissions of native born and immigrants to psychiatric hospitals in South-East England 1976. Br J Psychiatry 139: 506–512

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Glover GR (1987) 993W: birthplace not stated or born at sea. Psychol Med 17: 1009–1012

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison G, Owens D, Holton A, Neilson D, Boot D (1988) A prospective study of severe mental illness in Afro-Caribbean patients. Psychol Med

  • Leff JP, Fischer M, Bertelsen A (1976) A cross national epidemiological study of mania. Br J Psychiatry 149: 428–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Littlewood R, Cross S (1980) Ethnic minorities and psychiatric services. Sociol Health Illness 2: 195–201

    Google Scholar 

  • Littlewood R, Lipsedge M (1981) Some social and phenomenological characteristics of psychotic immigrants. Psychol Med 11: 289–302

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Littlewood R, Lipsedge M (1982) Aliens and alienists: ethnic minorities and psychiatry. Penguin, Harmondsworth

    Google Scholar 

  • London Strategic Planning Unit (1987) Data form the GLC special tabulations of the 1981 Census

  • McGovern D, Cope RV (1987) First psychiataric admission rates of first and second generation Afro- Caribbeans. Soc Psychiatry 22: 139–149

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • OPCS (1982) Evaluation of the 1981 census. OPCS Monitor Ref CEN 82/3, 3rd August 1982

  • Robinson B, Oomen G (1984) Personal communication

  • Royes K (1962) The incidence and features of psychosis in a Caribbean community. Proceedings of the 3rd World Congress of Psychiatry 2:1121–1125

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Glover, G.R. The pattern of psychiatric admissions of Caribbean-born immigrants in London. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 24, 49–56 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01788200

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01788200

Keywords

Navigation