Department of Psychological Medicine, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London
Department of Psychiatry, University of Leicester, Leicester
Institute of Psychiatry, London
South London and Maudsley NHS Trust Addiction Resource Centre, London
Division of Psychiatry, University of Bristol, Bristol
Office for National Statistics, London
Correspondence: Professor Jeremy Coid, Forensic Psychiatry Research Unit, St Bartholomew's Hospital, William Harvey House, 61 Bartholomew Close, London ECIA 7BE, UK. Tel: 020 7601 8138; fax: 020 7601 7969; e-mail: J.W.Coid{at}qmul.ac.uk
Funded by the Department of Health.
See part 1, pp.
473480, this issue.
Background The high rates of psychiatric morbidity in prisoners vary between ethnic groups.
Aims To compare early environmental risks, stressful daily living experiences and reported use of psychiatric services in prisoners from different ethnic groups.
Method Cross-sectional survey of 3142 prisoners in all penal establishments in England and Wales in 1997.
Results Fewer Black and South Asian male prisoners reported childhood traumas and conduct disorder, and fewer Black prisoners experienced stressful prison experiences, than White prisoners. Fewer Black women had received previous psychiatric treatment, and fewer Black men had their psychiatric problems identified in prison. Black prisoners were less likely to have received psychiatric treatment than Whites.
Conclusions The lower prevalence of psychiatric morbidity observed in Black prisoners corresponds with reduced exposure to risk factors. Higher rates of imprisonment might be explained by higher rates of conduct disorder, adolescent-onset criminality and disadvantage within the criminal justice system.
Related articles in BJP:
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
K. M. Keyes, M. L. Hatzenbuehler, P. Alberti, W. E. Narrow, B. F. Grant, and D. S. Hasin Service Utilization Differences for Axis I Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders Between White and Black Adults Psychiatr Serv, August 1, 2008; 59(8): 893 - 901. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. LEESE, G. THORNICROFT, J. SHAW, S. THOMAS, R. MOHAN, M. A. HARTY, and M. DOLAN Ethnic differences among patients in high-security psychiatric hospitals in England The British Journal of Psychiatry, April 1, 2006; 188(4): 380 - 385. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. K. Cheliotis and A. Liebling Race Matters in British Prisons: Towards a Research Agenda Br. J. Criminol., March 1, 2006; 46(2): 286 - 317. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Kingham and M. Corfe Experiences of a mixed court liaison and diversion scheme Psychiatr. Bull., April 1, 2005; 29(4): 137 - 140. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. Mezey Ethnic differences in prisoners: describing trauma and stress The British Journal of Psychiatry, August 1, 2003; 183 (2): 170 - 171. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||