Mental Illness in Leicester and Evington Part III Severe Mental Disorder

As the Valdo Calocane Inquiry continues in Nottingham it seems a timely moment to consider exactly what constitutes a severe mental disorder. In this article the prevalence of these illnesses is discussed, in part IV the nature and treatment of severe mental disorder is covered and in a separate article, and in light of the Calocane case, links between severe mental illness and dangerousness is covered.

Severe mental disorder or “severe mental illness” (SMI) usually refers to conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other psychotic illnesses.

For Leicester and areas including Evington, the available evidence suggests:

• Leicester has relatively high levels of serious mental illness compared with many parts of England, especially in more deprived urban wards.
• Older Leicester Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs) estimates suggested between 3,500 and 7,000 people in Leicester experienced a severe mental health problem, with around 1,600 people having psychosis.
• A more recent Leicester mental health assessment estimated around 3,400 people in Leicester live with a “serious and enduring mental health condition such as schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses.”
• Leicester GP practices recorded about 1.05% of the practice population on a mental health treatment register before the COVID pandemic.
• Public health mapping in Leicester identified particularly elevated mental health diagnosis rates in areas including North Evington, alongside New Parks, Braunstone, Eyres Monsell, Saffron and Belgrave.

Nationally, recent NHS/ Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID) modelling estimated severe mental illness prevalence in England at about: 1.16% with higher prevalence in deprived and dense urban communities.

The Leicester evidence also highlights strong links between severe mental illness and deprivation, housing insecurity, social isolation, substance misuse, trauma and domestic abuse, refugee/asylum pressures, and unequal access to healthcare.

A major distinction exists between North Evington and the Evington Road corridor (inner-city, denser, more deprived), and Evington Village/suburban Evington (more affluent and residential). Leicester public health mapping has repeatedly identified North Evington among areas with elevated mental health need and higher rates of diagnosed mental illness.

Contributing factors include high-density private renting, houses of multiple occupation (HMOs), economic deprivation, overcrowding, migration pressures, youth unemployment, language barriers, and limited access to preventative support.

It is important not to equate mental illness with criminality. Most people with severe mental illness are not violent. However, areas with deprivation, drug markets, unstable housing, gang activity, exploitation, and untreated addiction often experience overlapping pressures involving police, mental health crisis teams, homelessness services, probation, and A&E departments.

Community discussion about Highfields/North Evington often references antisocial behaviour, drug activity, street disorder, violent incidents, and feelings of insecurity, especially at night. Reddit and community commentary describe poor housing conditions, HMOs, visible drug misuse, and longstanding deprivation around the Evington Road corridor.

That said, many residents also describe strong family/community networks, cultural cohesion, and ordinary day-to-day life unaffected by serious crime.

A severe mental illness (SMI) is generally understood to mean a mental health condition that is serious in symptoms and impact, long-lasting or recurrent, causes substantial impairment in daily functioning, relationships, work, judgment, or self-care and often requires specialist psychiatric treatment and support.

Different countries and organisations use slightly different definitions. In the UK, bodies such as the National Health Service and mental health services commonly use the term for illnesses involving psychosis, major mood disorders, or severe functional impairment.

Common conditions classed as severe mental illnesses include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression, schizoaffective disorder, severe personality disorders, and severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Other conditions sometimes included in the definition of severe mental illness, depending upon the context, include severe post-traumatic stress disorder, severe eating disorder, severe anxiety disorders and chronic psychotic disorders caused by substances or medical conditions.

In the next article the main severe illnesses are described together with the possible range of treatment options.

Sources:

• https://www.leicester.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-11/mental-health-jspna.pdf
• https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/adult-mental-health-and-wellbeing-profile-april-2026-update/estimated-prevalence-of-severe-mental-illness-in-england-report
• https://www.reddit.com/r/leicester/comments/1pjxdt1/is_highfields_evington_actually_sketchy/?solution=b5ae8a3cfa40307ab5ae8a3cfa40307a&js_challenge=1&token=bbbe4bf1c9a2b5160829c4be34da5861d3dc35447dbbd5fb2d86d3763d4c5497&jsc_orig_r=&utm