EPIDEMIOLOGY OF MENTALLY DISORDERED OFFENDERS

Systematic review of the international literature on the epidemiology of mentally disordered offenders

Background: The aim of establishing the prevalence, incidence and antecedents of mentally disordered offenders was pursued through the following objectives: to identify clear criteria for defining mentally disordered offenders to review the literature relating to the population of mentally disordered offenders in (a) special hospitals, medium secure and interim secure units and private hospitals, (b) those receiving in-patient care through other psychiatric provision, (c) those with mental health problems in the prison population (d) those receiving a service through community mental health teams (e) those presenting to the Courts and police service as mentally disordered offenders.

Findings: No systematic epidemiological study of mentally disordered offenders in its own right was found. Those studies which provide data on mentally disordered offenders generally make poor use of statistical methodology. Professional epidemiological and statistical input is required to fully exploit existing data and adequately plan future studies of mentally disordered offenders.

Conducted by: CRD and the Department of Community Studies, University of Reading
Commissioned by: High Security Psychiatric Services Commissioning Board
Current status: Completed 1999

Publications:
NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination. Systematic review of the international literature on the epidemiology of mentally disordered offenders. CRD Report 15. York: University of York. 1999.

Badger D, Vaughan P, Woodward M, Williams P. Planning to meet the needs of offenders with mental disorders in the United Kingdom. Psychiatr Serv. 1999;50:1624-7.

Williams P, Badger D, Nursten J, Woodward M. A review of recent academic literature on the characteristics of patients in British special hospitals. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health. 1999;9(4):296-314.

Woodward M, Williams P, Nursten J, Badger D. The epidemiology of mentally disordered offending: a systematic review of studies, based in the general population, of criminality combined with psychiatric illness. Journal of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. 1999;4(2):101-13.