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Gender differences in reoffending after discharge from medium-secure units

National cohort study in England and Wales

Institute of Psychiatry, London

Petros Skapinakis, MPH, PhD

Departments of Psychiatry, University of Bristol, UK and University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Greece

Glyn Lewis, PhD, FRCPsych

Department of Psychiatry, University of Bristol, Bristol

Fiona Scott, BA

Institute of Psychiatry, London

Rachel Burnett, BSc

Drugs Analysis and Research, Home Office, London

Elizabeth Jamieson, PhD

Broadmoor Hospital, West London Mental Health Trust, Crowthorne, UK

Correspondence: Professor Anthony Maden, Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Academic Centre, West London Mental Health NHS Trust, Southall, Middlesex UB1 3EU, UK. Email: a.maden{at}ic.ac.uk

Declaration of interest None.

Background Previous research has shown that there are gender differences in reoffending after discharge from medium-secure units, but these have not been adequately explained.

Aims To investigate gender differences in reoffending after discharge from medium-secure psychiatric units.

Method All people discharged from medium-secure units in England and Wales between April 1997 and March 1998 were followed up for 1 year (n=959; 12% women). Reoffending was estimated by collecting reconviction data from the Home Office's Offenders' Index or from files at the mental health unit up to 2 years after discharge.

Results Women were less likely than men to be reconvicted within 2 years of discharge (9% v. 16%, OR=0.49, 95% CI 0.25-0.98). Adjustments for history of self-harm, drug or alcohol problems and previous offending substantially reduced the gender difference. In the full model the OR was 0.97 (95% CI 0.45-2.12).

Conclusions Some or all of the gender differences in reoffending between men and women are explained by self-harm, alcohol and drug problems and previous criminal history.

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BJP 2006 189: A5. [Full Text]