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Prospective cohort study of mental health during imprisonment
Lamiece Hassan1, Luke Birmingham, Mari A Harty
1Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester, Room 2.314, Jean McFarlane Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. lamiece.hassan@nhs.net
Background:
Mental illness is common among prisoners, but little evidence exists regarding changes in symptoms in custody over time.
Aims:
To investigate the prevalence and predictors of psychiatric symptoms among prisoners during early custody.
Method:
In a prospective cohort study, 3079 prisoners were screened for mental illness within 3 days of reception. To establish baseline diagnoses and symptoms, 980 prisoners were interviewed; all remaining in custody were followed up 1 month and 2 months later.
Results:
Symptom prevalence was highest during the first week of custody. Prevalence showed a linear decline among men and convicted prisoners, but not women or remand prisoners. It decreased among prisoners with depression, but not among prisoners with other mental illnesses.
Conclusions:
Overall, imprisonment did not exacerbate psychiatric symptoms, although differences in group responses were observed. Continued discussion regarding non-custodial alternatives for vulnerable groups and increased support for all during early custody are recommended.
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