Bourne PA and Hudson-Davis A
Introduction: Psychiatric hospitalization has been being studied homicide in Jamaica, particular the role of murder influencing admissions to mental health facility. Despite the high rates of homicide in Jamaica, the discourse of homicide has been either in the area of criminology or public health, with there being a gap between the studies of both.
Objectives: This research evaluates the role of homicide on psychiatric hospitalization, determines probabilities of homicide and psychiatric hospitalization, and examines best fit functions for the relationship between homicide rates and psychiatric hospitalization rates.
Methods and materials: Panel data for 1 10-year period, 2006-2015, were used to establish probabilities, functions and relationships between homicide and psychiatric hospitalization rates per 100,000.
Findings: A statistical relationship exists between psychiatric hospitalization and homicide rates. The association is a complex one as it is explained by a cyclical function. The majority of psychiatric hospitalization elasticities of homicide were inelastic and this means that a 1% change in homicide rate will produce a less than 1% change in psychiatric hospitalization.
Conclusion: There is a psychology of homicide that is unfolding in Jamaica. People are negatively influenced by the homicide pandemic. Although the effects of the murder pandemic are low, it is still accounting for psychiatric disorders among Jamaicans. The effects are not necessarily felt today (i.e., short-term effect); but there is the delayed effect (i.e., long-term effect) of murder that is accounting for additional hospitalization to a mental health institution.
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