Mental health, race and ethnicity: a retrospective study of the care of ethnic minorities and whites in a psychiatric unit.

A retrospective case-note study of 152 discharged psychiatric patients (77 subjects of ethnic minority origin and 75 whites) examined for details of follow-up arrangements on discharge, compliance rate with out-patient appointments and details on length of stay, status on admission, employment status, record of illicit drug taking and diagnosis. The results show that in the areas of diagnosis, possible illicit drug involvement, status on admission and length of stay, there are significant differences between Afro-Caribbean subjects and others.