Social deprivation and psychiatric inpatient numbers amongst people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism in England: a preliminary analysis and policy critique

Purpose Health and social care policy in England is committed to reducing psychiatric inpatient numbers for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and/or autism but is making mixed progress. This study, a preliminary study, aims to explore the extent to which inpatient numbers are influenced by social deprivation. It is hypothesised that higher regional social deprivation will predict higher inpatient numbers amongst people with ID and/or autism. Design/methodology/approach Data on social deprivation per English Local Authority (n = 317) are publicly available via the Indices of Multiple Deprivation, whilst data on ID and/or autism inpatient numbers per NHS Integrated Care Board (n = 42) are publicly available via NHS Digital. These data sets were curated and combined to test for associations between regional deprivation and ID and/or autism inpatient numbers per million of the general population, as well as regional deprivation and proportional makeup of inpatients with ID (with or without autism) compared to those with autism-only. Findings Higher regional deprivation was positively correlated with a higher number of inpatients with ID and/or autism, with weak but statistically significant associations (R² = 0.104, p = 0.037). Higher regional deprivation was positively correlated with the proportion of inpatients with ID (with or without autism) (R² = 0.106; p = 0.037) and negatively correlated with the proportion of inpatients with autism-only (R² = 0.129, p = 0.019), again with weak but statistically significant associations. Originality/value This study supports the hypothesis that, in England, higher regional social deprivation is associated with higher numbers of inpatients with ID and/or autism. However, it is suggested that a range of factors may be confounding the statistical evidence and obscuring stronger links between social deprivation and ID and/or autism inpatient numbers. Implications for ID and autism policy are discussed.