Psychiatric admissions and social deprivation: is the Jarman underprivileged area score relevant?

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to assess the relationship between social deprivation, as measured by the Jarman under-privileged area score (UPA score), and psychiatric admission rates and length of stay within an inner London borough. DESIGN--The study was a retrospective survey of psychiatric admission rates for electoral wards in the London borough of Islington in relation to Jarman UPA scores and subscores. SETTING--Islington Health Authority psychiatric admission wards at the Whittington and Friern Hospitals. PATIENTS--All admissions during the year of 1985 were studied (n = 778). MAIN RESULTS--No correlation was found between the total Jarman UPA score and either admission rates or length of stay. There was, however, a correlation between the Jarman UPA subscore for ethnic minorities and admission rates (r = 0.409, p less than 0.05), and between the Jarman UPA subscore for lone parents and length of stay (r = 0.390, p less than 0.05). CONCLUSIONS--The Jarman UPA score at electoral ward level is not related to psychiatric morbidity, and should not therefore be used for planning local service provision.