S Otte1, N Vasic2, S Nigel2, J Streb2, T Ross3, C Spitzer4, H J Grabe5, M Dudeck2. 1. Department of forensic psychiatry and psychotherapy, university of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: stefanie.otte@bkh-guenzburg.de. 2. Department of forensic psychiatry and psychotherapy, university of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. 3. Department of forensic psychiatry and psychotherapy, centre for psychiatry Reichenau, Reichenau, Germany. 4. Asklepios hospital Tiefenbrunn, Rosdorf, Germany. 5. Department of psychiatry and psychotherapy, university of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Previous research indicates that prisoners have severe psychological distress. To assess their distress level and potential need for treatment, the present study compared the subjective psychological distress of long- and short-term prisoners with that of psychiatric and forensic patients. METHODS: Long- (n=98) and short-term prisoners (n=94) and forensic (n=102) and psychiatric (n=199) patients completed the German versions of the Symptom Checklist Revised (SCL-90-R) and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). RESULTS: In general, long-term prisoners showed the same level of mental distress as psychiatric patients and more than that reported by forensic patients. Short-term prisoners reported the least level of distress. Long- but not short-term prisoners showed clinically significant results on the scales for depression, paranoid ideation, and psychosis. CONCLUSIONS: The improvements in psychiatric treatment for inmates demanded by many stakeholders need to differentiate between long- and short-term prisoners. Because depression seems to cause the most psychological distress among inmates, suicide prevention seems to be an important issue in prisons.
BACKGROUND: Previous research indicates that prisoners have severe psychological distress. To assess their distress level and potential need for treatment, the present study compared the subjective psychological distress of long- and short-term prisoners with that of psychiatric and forensic patients. METHODS: Long- (n=98) and short-term prisoners (n=94) and forensic (n=102) and psychiatric (n=199) patients completed the German versions of the Symptom Checklist Revised (SCL-90-R) and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). RESULTS: In general, long-term prisoners showed the same level of mental distress as psychiatricpatients and more than that reported by forensic patients. Short-term prisoners reported the least level of distress. Long- but not short-term prisoners showed clinically significant results on the scales for depression, paranoid ideation, and psychosis. CONCLUSIONS: The improvements in psychiatric treatment for inmates demanded by many stakeholders need to differentiate between long- and short-term prisoners. Because depression seems to cause the most psychological distress among inmates, suicide prevention seems to be an important issue in prisons.
Authors: P Seidel; N Konrad; V Negatsch; D Dezsö; I Kogan; U Gauger; B Neumann; A Voulgaris; A Opitz-Welke Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2019-10-31 Impact factor: 4.157
Authors: Joel Juarros-Basterretxea; Paula Escoda-Menéndez; Manuel Vilariño; Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Díaz; Juan Herrero Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-02-02 Impact factor: 3.390