The epidemiology of psychosis in Luton

There is a dearth of epidemiological research on psychosis. Little is known about how psychosis rates vary within contrasting urban areas. Variation in rates would have implications for the aetiology of psychosis. The aim was to determine the variation in psychosis prevalence in different areas of a city.

We conducted a retrospective audit of the caseloads of the four Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs) in Luton. Caseloads were categorised by diagnoses recorded in the medical notes, and by patient age. We performed a descriptive analysis of the levels of psychosis in each CMHT, considered against parameters including deprivation and ethnicity as recorded in the 2001 UK census.

Areas with high indices of deprivation, and a large ethnic minority and migrant population, demonstrated higher rates of psychosis.

Our findings are consistent with, the MRC Aetiology & Ethnicity of Schizophrenia & Other Psychoses study. Increased rates of psychosis observed in areas with large migrant and ethnic minority populations, and in areas of high deprivation, have implications for the planning of local services, and in further understanding the role of environmental factors in the aetiology of psychosis. There is a need for further prospective epidemiological studies at this geographical scale.