Are higher admission rates in Black and minority ethnic groups caused by institutional racism?
It has been powerfully argued that higher admission rates in Black Caribbean, Black African, and White and Black mixed Caribbean groups of all ages combined could be attributed to institutional racism.3 However, some have disagreed with this reasoning because they felt it had not been scientifically substantiated. Other explanations were offered, for example higher rates of mental illness in some Black and minority ethnic groups.4,5 Theoretically, similar explanations could be applied to the standardised admission ratios for Black and minority ethnic elders, given that the findings from the current census were similar to those for all age groups combined. However, alternative explanations which may partly be related to institutional racism also require careful examination focusing on determinants of admission, length of stay and bed occupancy. What did the 2007 Count Me In census really measure? The census was undertaken on a single day for all psychiatric in-patients and as such it di
