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Neighbourhood variation in the incidence of psychotic disorders in Southeast London

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Abstract

Background

Urbanicity is a risk factor for schizophrenia, but it is unclear whether this risk is homogenous across urban areas.

Aims

To determine whether the incidence of psychotic disorders varied within an urban area, beyond variation attributable to individual-level characteristics.

Methods

All incident cases of ICD-10 psychoses from a large, 2-year, epidemiological study of first-episode psychoses in Southeast London were identified. Incidence rates for 33 wards were standardised for age, sex and ethnicity. Bayesian models produced accurate relative risk estimates that were then mapped.

Results

295 cases were identified during 565,000 person-years of follow-up. We observed significant heterogeneity in relative risks for broad and non-affective psychoses (schizophrenia), but not for affective psychoses. Highest risks were observed in contiguous wards.

Conclusions

Neighbourhood variation in the incidence of non-affective psychoses could not be explained by individual-level risk, implicating neighbourhood-level socioenvironmental factors in their aetiology. The findings are consistent with classical sociological models of mental disorders.

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Author notes

  1. Kevin Morgan

    Present address: Dept. of Psychology, University of Westminster, London, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Box 189, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, UK

    James B. Kirkbride & Peter B. Jones

  2. Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London, UK

    Paul Fearon, Craig Morgan, Paola Dazzan, Kevin Morgan & Robin M. Murray

Authors
  1. James B. Kirkbride
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  2. Paul Fearon
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  3. Craig Morgan
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  4. Paola Dazzan
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  5. Kevin Morgan
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  6. Robin M. Murray
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  7. Peter B. Jones
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to James B. Kirkbride.

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Kirkbride, J.B., Fearon, P., Morgan, C. et al. Neighbourhood variation in the incidence of psychotic disorders in Southeast London. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 42, 438–445 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0193-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0193-0

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