Star Wars actor Jake Lloyd sent to psych ward

Actor Jake Lloyd starred as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace as a child.

Star Wars actor Jake Lloyd has reportedly been transferred to a psychiatric ward after spending nearly 10 months in jail.

The actor who starred as a young Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace was arrested last year after he led police on a high-speed chase across two counties in South Carolina.

According to TMZ, the child-star was transferred to the psychiatric centre after authorities concluded he needed help with his schizophrenia.

A scene from the movie Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

Lloyd's mother Lisa told the gossip website she can already see an improvement in Jake's personality since the transfer.

Lisa revealed her son's struggles with the mental disorder to TMZ last year, and said Lloyd attacked her several months earlier after failing to take his medication.

The 27-year-old actor was charged last northern summer with reckless driving, failure to stop and driving without a driver's licence after he eventually crashed through a fence, NY Daily News reports.

- AAP