Rates of voluntary and compulsory psychiatric in-patient treatment in England: an ecological study investigating associations with deprivation and demographics

Abstract

Background: Individual variables and area-level variables have been identified as explaining much of the variance in rates of compulsory in-patient treatment.

Aims: To describe rates of voluntary and compulsory psychiatric in-patient treatment in rural and urban settings in England, and to explore the associations with age, ethnicity and deprivation.

Method: Secondary analysis of 2010/11 data from the Mental Health Minimum Dataset.

Results: Areas with higher levels of deprivation had increased rates of in-patient treatment. Areas with high proportions of adults aged 20-39 years had the highest rates of compulsory in-patient treatment as well as the lowest rates of voluntary in-patient treatment. Urban settings had higher rates of compulsory in-patient treatment and ethnic density was associated with compulsory treatment in these areas. After adjusting for age, deprivation and urban/rural setting, the association between ethnicity and compulsory treatment was not statistically significant.

Conclusions: Age structure of the adult population and ethnic density along with higher levels of deprivation can account for the markedly higher rates of compulsory in-patient treatment in urban areas.