Psychosis in the inner city : the Camberwell first episode study

This book describes the epidemiology of schizophrenia and related disorders in Camberwell, in southeast London. It mainly utilises data collected over the period 1965–1984 through the Camberwell Cumulative Psychiatric Case register.
We examine the admission policies, showing that patients are admitted to the hospital on the grounds of their particular presentation, rather than their diagnosis. We explore differences between males and females with psychotic disorders, and show that gender is a more powerful influence than diagnosis. Using data up to 1992, we investigate trends over time, and find that ethnicity is one of the major influences. We look at criminality, and show that the factors that predict criminal behaviour in individuals with psychotic illness are much the same as those which predict crime in the sane. We trace the longitudinal course of illness, putting paid to the schizophrenia/manic-depression dichotomy. The powerful message is that traditional diagnostic criteria are spurious, complacent constructs, which lull us into a false sense of security, and which should be challenged. We suggest that it is epidemiology which can place the current vogue for diagnostic conformity in its correct perspective, as well as provide data for service providers.