Case for compulsion is 'overstated'

Mental Health Nursing,  Jul 1999  

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

A new report examines the link between failure to take medication and murder by mentally ill people

An analysis of major homicide inquiries has found no strong link between failure to comply with prescribed medication and the subsequent murder, and says the case for compulsory treatment in any community has been 'overstated'.

The report, written by a Mental Health Act commissioner and a policy adviser for the Sainsbury Centre, and commissioned by Mind, examined the main findings and recommendations of inquiries into I4 homicides committed by mentally ill people. They include the cases of Christopher Clunis, Luke Warm Luke and Darren Carr.

The CPNA is among several organisations backing the report, whose authors found that the inquiry system consists of a `unique and idiosyncratic set of evidence which cannot in itself provide an overall picture of the successes or failures of community care'.

Among the key issues identified as contributing to homicide in the Iq inquiry cases, failure to take medication was a clear factor in only two. 'While non-compliance is clearly an issue in homicide inquiries it appears that it is being overemphasised in current policy. Noncompliance does not exist in a vacuum but occurs because of a combination of service users' wishes and attitudes, based on past experiences, and the support and information offered by services,' say the authors.

The report lists Iz key issues identified by the inquiry reports, of which the most frequently mentioned is poor risk management. `Improvements in training procedures and staff competencies are required. Integration of risk assessment with care planning and good record keeping is also vital,' it says.

The other II factors to emerge from the inquiries and listed in order of importance are: communication problems; inadequate care planning; lack of inter-agency working; administrative and legal procedural failures; lack of suitable accommodation; resources; substance misuse; non-compliance; involvement of carers; ethnic minority issues; the need for reform of the Mental Health Act.

Key Issues from Homicide Inquiries is published by Mind.

Copyright Community Psychiatric Nurses Association Jul 1999
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved