Characteristics of offenders referred to a medium secure NHS personality disorder service: the first five years.
BACKGROUND
As new services for offenders with personality disorder emerge in the UK, there is interest in the methods of assessments and characteristics of patients admitted.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate use of selection criteria for admission to a dedicated personality disorder service within medium secure hospital provision in the UK, and to test for features that discriminate between those admitted and those rejected.


METHODS
A structured multidisciplinary assessment was administered to offenders referred to a new personality disorder service in a medium secure psychiatric unit. The evaluation included self-report and observer ratings across a range of domains including categorical axis I disorders and axis II disorders, dimensional assessment of personality and ratings of intellect and risk.


RESULTS
Sixty-eight male offenders were assessed, of whom 47 were offered admission. No differences were found between those accepted or rejected on demographic, offence and most clinical characteristics. Axis I comorbidity was high in both groups (over 90%). There was no indication of staff overriding exclusion criteria but men who were accepted had greater extraversion and conscientiousness on the NEO-FFI.


CONCLUSIONS
Staff screening men for suitability for admission to this new specialist medium security hospital unit stayed true to given exclusion criteria in their decision not to offer a bed. Characteristics with face value as qualities necessary for engagement in treatments appeared to influence positive choices. Next steps will be to test the validity of choice with outcome studies.
Milton
John
J
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Rampton Hospital, Retford, UK. John.Milton@nottshc.nhs.uk
Duggan
Conor
C
McCarthy
Lucy
L
Costley-White
Amanda
A
Mason
Lauren
L
D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014888:Wechsler Scales