PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION AND ETHNICITY - AN INPATIENT SURVEY

A survey of the catchment area psychiatric inpatient population of the Bethlem and Maudsley Hospitals showed that more black (Afro Caribbean ) than non-black (white British) patients received anti-psychotic medi cation. This finding ceased to be significant after adjustment for dia gnosis because a larger proportion of black than non black patients re ceived a diagnosis of schizophrenia. However, after adjustment for dia gnosis, black patients were significantly more likely to be receiving depot anti-psychotic medication, to be detained under a section and to have been involved in a violent incident during the present admission . There were no significant ethnic differences in total dose equivalen ts of anti-psychotic medication but doses of the depot form were signi ficantly higher for black patients.