ONS Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity among Prisoners in England and Wales, 1997

<div>The <span style="font-style: italic;">Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys</span> (APMS) (formerly known as the Surveys of Psychiatric Morbidity) are a series of surveys which provide data on the prevalence of both treated and untreated psychiatric disorders in the adult population (aged 16 and over). </div><div><br></div><div>The first survey was conducted in 1993, covering 16 to 64-year-olds. A further survey was conducted in 2000 (covering 16 to 74-year-olds) and included respondents living in England, Scotland and Wales. From 2007 onwards, the surveys have been commissioned by NHS Digital on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), including people aged over 16 (no upper age limit) living in England. For 2007 and 2014, the surveys were conducted by NatCen Social Research on behalf of NHS Digital. The surveys capture information on common mental disorders, mental health treatment and service use, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychotic disorder, autism, personality disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, alcohol, drugs, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, self-harm, and comorbidity.</div><div><br></div><div><span style="color: rgb(63, 82, 95); font-family: "Frutiger W01", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px;">Further information can be found on the NHS Digital </span><a href="https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/corporate-information-and-documents/directions-and-data-provision-notices/secretary-of-state-directions/mental-health-and-wellbeing-surveys-directions-2021/adult-psychiatric-morbidity-surveys" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: "Frutiger W01", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px;">Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys</a><span style="color: rgb(63, 82, 95); font-family: "Frutiger W01", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px;"> webpage.</span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(63, 82, 95); font-family: "Frutiger W01", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px;"><br></span></div><div>A similar series covering young people aged 5 to 15/16, the Mental Health of Children and Young People Surveys (MHCYP), is also commissioned by NHS Digital. </div>
The Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity among Prisoners in England and Wales was commissioned by the Department of Health in 1997. It aimed to provide up-to-date baseline information about the prevalence of psychiatric problems among male and female remand and sentenced prisoners in order to inform policy decisions about services. Wherever possible, the survey utilised similar assessment instruments to those used in earlier surveys to allow comparison with corresponding data from the OPCS/ONS surveys of individuals resident in private household, institutions catering for people with mental health problems, and homeless people (see SNs 3560, 3585 and 3642 respectively). In addition the survey aimed to examine the varying use of services and the receipt of care in relation to mental disorder and to establish key, current and lifetime factors which may be associated with mental disorders of prisoners.<br>