[Comprehensive care program for the mentally ill in Spanish prisons (PAIEM): assessment after four years operation]

To assess the comprehensive care program for the mentally ill in prison (PAIEM), which has been implemented for 3 years in Spanish prisons with the aim of improving processes and results.

Descriptive study of the data gathered from an anonymous questionnaire completed by members of the PAIEM team in prisons. Frequency distributions were obtained of all the variables relating to facts, attitudes, opinions, experiences, situations and processes of the PAIEM.

91.2% of the PAIEM teams responded. Psychologists, educators, doctors and social workers were the professionals that collaborated most actively in the PAIEM (73%-84%) and were the ones to act most frequently as tutors. The mentally ill are usually located in ordinary modules (80%). The most commonly used activities for their psycho-social rehabilitation are self care (73%), education for health, preparation for daily life and social skills (more than 60%). Interventions with families are basically by telephone (79%). Bivariate analysis showed that the PAIEMs that operate most effectively are those that coordinate well with other technical teams, that prepare referral more than six months prior to release and ones where the NGOs process the referrals. Over 71% of the professionals observed improvements of disabilities and needs in over half the patients more than half of the professionals involved are satisfied (3.4/5) with their participation, although they acknowledge that there is a greater work load.

The activities of the PAIEM are adequate, especially in the phases of early detection, stabilisation and rehabilitation and less so in the social incorporation phase, which improves when the third sector intervenes in referrals of patients to the social health care network outside prison.