Ethnic inequalities in the use of secondary and tertiary mental health services among patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ethnic inequalities in the use of secondary and tertiary mental health services among patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

AU - Fernandez de la Cruz, Lorena

AU - Llorens, Marta

AU - Jassi, Amita

AU - Krebs, Georgina

AU - Vidal-Ribas Belil, Pablo

AU - Radua, Joaquim

AU - Hatch, Stephani L

AU - Bhugra, Dinesh Kumar Makhan Lal

AU - Heyman, Isobel

AU - Clark, Bruce R

AU - Mataix-Cols, David

PY - 2015/12

Y1 - 2015/12

N2 - BackgroundObsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) has similar prevalence rates across ethnic groups. However, ethnic minorities are underrepresented in clinical trials of OCD. It is unclear whether this is also the case in clinical services.AimsTo explore whether ethnic minorities with OCD are underrepresented in secondary and tertiary mental health services in the South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust.MethodThe ethnic distribution of patients with OCD seen between 1999 and 2013 in SLaM (n = 1528) was compared with that of the general population in the catchment area using census data. A cohort of patients with depression (n = 22 716) was used for comparative purposes.ResultsEthnic minorities with OCD were severely underrepresented across services (−57%, 95% CI −62% to −52%). The magnitude of the observed inequalities was significantly more pronounced than in depression (−29%, 95% CI −31% to −27%).ConclusionsThere is a clear need to understand the reasons behind such ethnic inequalities and implement measures to reduce them.

AB - BackgroundObsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) has similar prevalence rates across ethnic groups. However, ethnic minorities are underrepresented in clinical trials of OCD. It is unclear whether this is also the case in clinical services.AimsTo explore whether ethnic minorities with OCD are underrepresented in secondary and tertiary mental health services in the South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust.MethodThe ethnic distribution of patients with OCD seen between 1999 and 2013 in SLaM (n = 1528) was compared with that of the general population in the catchment area using census data. A cohort of patients with depression (n = 22 716) was used for comparative purposes.ResultsEthnic minorities with OCD were severely underrepresented across services (−57%, 95% CI −62% to −52%). The magnitude of the observed inequalities was significantly more pronounced than in depression (−29%, 95% CI −31% to −27%).ConclusionsThere is a clear need to understand the reasons behind such ethnic inequalities and implement measures to reduce them.

U2 - 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.154062

DO - 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.154062

M3 - Article

SN - 0007-1250

VL - 207

SP - 530

EP - 535

JO - British Journal of Psychiatry

JF - British Journal of Psychiatry

IS - 6

ER -