Riordan Sharon, Smith Helen, Humphreys Martin
The University of Birmingham and South Birmingham Mental Health NHS Trust, Reaside Clinic, Birmingham Great Park, Bristol Road South, Birmingham B45 9BE.
Med Sci Law. 2002 Oct;42(4):339-43. doi: 10.1177/002580240204200410.
In the context of a larger investigation of follow-up of a specific group of mentally disordered individuals, the study described here examined the characteristics of all 55 people conditionally discharged for the first time from a medium secure unit in the West Midlands over a 13-year period. A retrospective case note analysis was undertaken. The findings illustrate that these patients are a distinct group. They were mainly single men who had committed a grave offence. The majority had an extensive criminological history with early onset of offending and chronic mental illness. Fifty percent of those with a criminal record had received at least one custodial sentence prior to the index offence. Co-morbid substance misuse was common, as was a history of self-harm. There were high levels of previous contact with psychiatric services and compulsory in-patient treatment. Most were detained under the Mental Health Act category of mental illness. A quarter had been transferred from a special hospital prior to conditional discharge into the community. The characteristics of this sample demonstrate clearly the need for the provision of long-term medium secure facilities and allied services.
