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

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.