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Ambulance attendances resulting from self-harm after release from prison: a prospective data linkage study
Rohan Borschmann1,2, Jesse T Young3,4,5, Paul Moran6
1Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Melbourne, 3052, Australia. rohan.borschmann@mcri.edu.au.
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
|April 9, 2017
Summary
Ambulance attendances for self-harm are common after prison release. Indigenous status, prior psychiatric hospitalization, and previous self-harm incidents predict these events.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Criminology
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- Incarcerated adults face elevated risks of self-harm and suicide, persisting post-release.
- Community reintegration presents unique challenges for this vulnerable population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify ambulance attendances for self-harm among adults after prison release.
- To identify predictors of these self-harm-related ambulance attendances.
Main Methods:
- Prospective linkage of baseline surveys (n=1309) with state-wide correctional, health, and death records in Queensland, Australia.
- Negative binomial regression used to analyze associations between baseline factors and self-harm attendances.
Main Results:
- Over 4691 person-years, 3.9% of 2892 ambulance attendances were for self-harm.
- Predictors included Indigenous status (IRR: 2.10), prior psychiatric hospitalization (IRR: 2.65), self-harm risk identification in prison (IRR: 2.12), and prior self-harm ambulance attendance (IRR: 3.16).
Conclusions:
- Self-harm-related ambulance attendances post-release are frequent, offering intervention opportunities.
- Strong associations with prior psychiatric issues highlight the need for enhanced ambulance staff training in mental health assessment and management for this population.