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Ethnicity as a predictor of detention under the Mental Health Act

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2013

S. P. Singh ,
T. Burns ,
P. Tyrer ,
Z. Islam ,
H. Parsons  and
M. J. Crawford
S. P. Singh*
Affiliation:
Mental Health and Wellbeing, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
T. Burns
Affiliation:
University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
P. Tyrer
Affiliation:
Imperial College London, Claybrook Centre, London, UK
Z. Islam
Affiliation:
Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
H. Parsons
Affiliation:
Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, UK
M. J. Crawford
Affiliation:
Imperial College London, Claybrook Centre, London, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: S. P. Singh, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Warwick Medical School, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK. (Email: S.P.Singh@warwick.ac.uk)
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Abstract

Background

There has been major concern about the ‘over-representation’ of Black and ethnic minority groups amongst people detained under the Mental Health Act (MHA). We explored the effect of patient ethnicity on detention following an MHA assessment, once confounding variables were controlled for.

Method

Prospective data were collected for all MHA assessments over 4-month periods in the years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 each in three regions in England: Birmingham, West London and Oxfordshire. Logistic regression modelling was conducted to predict the outcome of MHA assessments – either resulting in ‘detention’ or ‘no detention’.

Results

Of the 4423 MHA assessments, 2841 (66%) resulted in a detention. A diagnosis of psychosis, the presence of risk, female gender, level of social support and London as the site of assessment predicted detention under the MHA. Ethnicity was not an independent predictor of detention.

Conclusions

There is no evidence for that amongst those assessed under the MHA, ethnicity has an independent effect on the odds of being detained.

Keywords

Coercionethnic minorityMental Health Actpsychosisrisktranscultural psychiatry
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 44 , Issue 5 , April 2014 , pp. 997 - 1004
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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