SUICIDE AND VIOLENT DEATH IN A 6-YEAR COHORT OF MALE PROBATIONERS COMPARED WITH PATTERN OF MORTALITY IN THE GENERAL-POPULATION - EVIDENCE OF ACCUMULATIVE SOCIOPSYCHIATRIC VULNERABILITY

The 'Health of the Nation' (Department of Health, 1992) suicide target s focus upon the mentally ill, but virtually ignore the mentally abnor mal offender. Whilst forensic services deal with the severely disturbe d, the majority of offenders remain in the community, despite long-sta nding psychosocial difficulties.This study explores the mortality rate s of a six-year cohort of male probationers (1990-1995) with males in the general population. Male offenders (aged 17-54) had double the dea th rate, five times the 'external death' rate and nine times the suici de rate of the general population. This paper highlights the need to f urther improve the health-psychiatric-criminal justice collaboration.