OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and the treatment needs of new committals to Irish prisons. METHODS: A population survey of 615 prisoners representing 7.9% of male committals to Irish prisons in the year of survey, 313 remands (9.6% of total remand committals) and 302 sentenced committals (6.4% of total sentenced committals). The main outcome measures were ICD-10 diagnoses of mental disorder based on interviews using SADS-L and prison medical records. RESULTS: Current prevalence rates of any psychotic illness were 3.8% (remand) and 0.3% (sentenced), six month prevalence rate 5.1% (remand) and 2.6% (sentenced) and lifetime rate 9.3% (remand) and 6.6% (sentenced). Schizophrenia and drug/organic psychoses were the most common psychoses. Major depressive disorder had a current prevalence of 4.5% (remand) and 4.6% (sentenced), a six month prevalence of 4.8% (remand) and 6.0% (sentenced), and a lifetime prevalence of 8.6% (remand) and 15.9% (sentenced). Sixty-point-six per cent of the sample had a current substance misuse problem. CONCLUSIONS: There is significant psychiatric morbidity in committal prisoners.
OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and the treatment needs of new committals to Irish prisons. METHODS: A population survey of 615 prisoners representing 7.9% of male committals to Irish prisons in the year of survey, 313 remands (9.6% of total remand committals) and 302 sentenced committals (6.4% of total sentenced committals). The main outcome measures were ICD-10 diagnoses of mental disorder based on interviews using SADS-L and prison medical records. RESULTS: Current prevalence rates of any psychotic illness were 3.8% (remand) and 0.3% (sentenced), six month prevalence rate 5.1% (remand) and 2.6% (sentenced) and lifetime rate 9.3% (remand) and 6.6% (sentenced). Schizophrenia and drug/organic psychoses were the most common psychoses. Major depressive disorder had a current prevalence of 4.5% (remand) and 4.6% (sentenced), a six month prevalence of 4.8% (remand) and 6.0% (sentenced), and a lifetime prevalence of 8.6% (remand) and 15.9% (sentenced). Sixty-point-six per cent of the sample had a current substance misuse problem. CONCLUSIONS: There is significant psychiatric morbidity in committal prisoners.
Authors: Conor O'Neill; Damian Smith; Martin Caddow; Fergal Duffy; Philip Hickey; Mary Fitzpatrick; Fintan Caddow; Tom Cronin; Mark Joynt; Zetti Azvee; Bronagh Gallagher; Claire Kehoe; Catherine Maddock; Benjamin O'Keeffe; Louise Brennan; Mary Davoren; Elizabeth Owens; Ronan Mullaney; Laurence Keevans; Ronan Maher; Harry G Kennedy Journal: Int J Ment Health Syst Date: 2016-10-11
Authors: Damian Smith; Susan Harnett; Aisling Flanagan; Sarah Hennessy; Pauline Gill; Niamh Quigley; Cornelia Carey; Michael McGhee; Aoife McManus; Mary Kennedy; Enda Kelly; Jean Carey; Ann Concannon; Harry G Kennedy; Damian Mohan Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2018-11-02 Impact factor: 4.157