Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys (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). 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.Further information can be found on the NHS Digital Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys webpage.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. 

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.

Main Topics:

The dataset contains the data from interviews with 3,142 prisoners aged 16 to 64 years from all prisons in England and Wales. These interviews included assessments of neurosis, psychosis, personality disorder, alcohol and drug dependence, deliberate self-harm, post-traumatic stress and intellectual functioning. In addition they included information on use of services before and in prison, key life events, social and economic functioning and a range of socio-demographic information. Separate samples of male remand, male sentenced, and female prisoners were selected. Information was also collected from prison records (the Local Inmates Directory System - LIDS) and medical records if permission was granted by the respondent. A sub-sample of 505 respondents also undertook a second clinical interview, and these data are included in their records on the SPSS file. Standard Measures Personality disorder (clinical interview): Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-II). Psychotic disorder (clinical interview): Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) (version 1.0). Neurotic disorder (lay interview): Clinical Interview Schedule - Revised (CIS-R). Self-harm (lay interview): suicide attempts and ideation: five questions (based on the work of Paykel et al). Alcohol misuse (lay interview): Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Drug dependence (lay interview): five questions taken from the ECA study and used in other OPCS (ONS) psychiatric morbidity surveys. Intellectual functioning (lay interview): QUICK test.

One-stage stratified or systematic random sample

separate samples for male remand, male sentenced and female prisoners; The second stage (clinical) interview sample was a systematic 1 in 5 sub-sample of those selected for initial interview.

Face-to-face interview

Transcription of existing materials

data also obtained from (a) medical records - first reception health screening form and prescription charts, and (b) Local Inmates Directory System (LIDS).