Recidivism
Pronunciation: reh-SID-ih-viz-um
In mental health services, the tendency for an individual to relapse and require repeated hospitalisation or crisis intervention after a period of stabilisation or community-based treatment.
Full Definition
Recidivism in mental health contexts refers to the pattern of repeated psychiatric decompensation and readmission or re-engagement with acute services, often used as an outcome metric for program evaluation. Editors working in mental health services must note that 'recidivism' is borrowed from criminal justice, where it denotes re-offending, and can be stigmatising when applied to psychiatric populations. Many contemporary style guides recommend replacing it with 'readmission rate,' 'relapse,' or 'return to acute care' in patient-facing and advocacy documents. In quality improvement reports, grant documents, and program evaluations, 'recidivism' may be used as an accepted technical metric. Editors should flag the term in patient-facing materials and recommend language review by a clinical or communications lead.
Usage
Usage note: Flag 'recidivism' in patient-facing or advocacy materials due to its criminal justice connotations; suggest 'readmission' or 'return to acute care.' Retain in program evaluation and quality improvement reports where it is an accepted clinical metric.
In Context
- "The program's annual report cited a 30% reduction in psychiatric recidivism among participants enrolled in the assertive community treatment team." — Program evaluation report
- "The editor flagged 'recidivism' in the patient brochure and suggested replacing it with 'readmission' to avoid unintended criminal justice connotations." — Patient education brochure