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Social Deprivation and Rates of Treated Mental Disorder

Developing Statistical Models to Predict Psychiatric Service Utilisation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Graham Thornicroft*
Affiliation:
MRC Social and Community Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF

Abstract

A review of the literature shows that there are strong associations of treated prevalence rates of psychiatric disorder with social class, sex, marital status, ethnic group and living alone; and moderate associations with living in inner-city areas and a high degree of residential mobility. The Jarman-8 index of social deprivation correlates with psychiatric admission rates for patients aged less than 65 years (R2–0.38). Individual census variables can themselves account for up to 0.71 of the variance in the admission rates, while combined in a stepwise multiple regression the census variables will account for over 0.95 of this variation. Multiple regression models using individual census variables and derived indices should be applied next on a wider geographical basis, and to narrower age, sex and diagnosis-specific psychiatric morbidity rates.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1991 

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