A UK population-based study of the relationship between mental disorder and victimisation.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the prevalence of victimisation in a UK population-based sample and to investigate the association between mental disorder and victimisation in both cross-sectional and prospective manner, whilst adjusting for potential confounds.


METHODS
Data from the National Child Development Study (NCDS) were used to examine criminal victimisation, violent victimisation, and mental disorder at age 46 yerars, and also to measure history of mental disorder, when cohort members were aged 23, 33 and 42 years. Variables considered to be potential confounders or mediators of the association, including socio-economic status, family income, financial strain, education, housing ownership status, heavy drinking and gender, all measured at age 46 years, were considered in multivariate analyses.


RESULTS
The prevalence of criminal victimisation amongst cohort members in the 12 months preceding interview was 15%; 2.2% of the participants reported experiencing violent victimisation in the past year. Mental disorder at age 46 was significantly associated with criminal and violent victimisation, even after adjusting for potential confounds. A prior history of mental disorder was found to be a robust predictor of criminal and violent victimisation.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides evidence that those with a mental disorder are at elevated risk of victimisation, including violent victimisation. That such an association might reflect an underlying causal relationship is further supported by the confirmation that the association holds true when mental disorder is measured well before the assessment of victimisation risk, and that it persists despite adjustment for a number of potential confounding factors.
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK. christina.hart@kcl.ac.uk
Christina
C
Hart
Renée
R
de Vet
Paul
P
Moran
Stephani L
SL
Hatch
Kimberlie
K
Dean
D000328:Adult; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D055815:Young Adult