A survey of female patients in high security psychiatric care in Scotland.

BACKGROUND: The State Hospital, Carstairs, is the sole high security psychiatric facility for Scotland and Northern Ireland. METHOD: This study compares the female (n = 28) and male (n = 213) patients resident there between 1992 and 1993 using data derived from case-note reviews and interviews with patients and staff. RESULTS: Nearly three-quarters of both the male and female populations had a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia, and secondary diagnoses of substance abuse and antisocial personality disorder were common.