Out and down: incarceration and psychiatric disorders

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• High prevalence of psychiatric disorders in incarcerated populations.
• Complex interplay between childhood disadvantage, early disorder onset, substance use criminalization, and incarceration.
• Need to disentangle causal relationships between incarceration and mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between incarceration and psychiatric disorders.
• To statistically adjust for multidimensional influences affecting this relationship.
• To identify specific disorders and long-term impacts.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (N = 5692).
• Employed statistical adjustments for childhood disadvantage, disorder onset, and substance use criminalization.
• Differentiated between lifetime and current disorders, and analyzed subsequent disorder development.

Main Results:

• Many common disorders predate incarceration, emerging in childhood/adolescence.
• The link between incarceration and disorders diminishes over time.
• Early substance use disorders predict later incarceration and other psychiatric issues.
• Robust, long-lasting associations found between incarceration and subsequent mood disorders (major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, dysthymia).
• Mood disorders are strongly linked to disability, exceeding substance abuse and impulse control disorders.

Conclusions:

• While some psychiatric disorders predate incarceration, robust links exist with subsequent mood disorders.
• Mood disorders following incarceration contribute significantly to post-release disability.
• Addressing mood disorders is crucial for successful prisoner reintegration and reducing long-term health consequences.