Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T21:14:48.354Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Psychiatric morbidity in male remanded and sentenced committals to Irish prisons

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Katharine Curtin ,
Stephen Monks ,
Brenda Wright ,
Dearbhia Duffy ,
Sally Linehan  and
Harry G Kennedy
Katharine Curtin
Affiliation:
Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14, Ireland
Stephen Monks
Affiliation:
Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14, Ireland
Brenda Wright
Affiliation:
Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14, Ireland Department of Psychiatry, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
Dearbhia Duffy
Affiliation:
Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14, Ireland
Sally Linehan
Affiliation:
Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14, Ireland
Harry G Kennedy*
Affiliation:
Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14, Ireland Department of Psychiatry, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
*
*Correspondence E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

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.

Keywords

CommittalPrisonersMorbidity
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 26 , Issue 4 , December 2009 , pp. 169 - 173
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Government of Ireland. Criminal Law (Insanity) Act, 2006. Dublin: The Stationery Office, 2006.Google Scholar
2.Linehan, SA, Duffy, DM, Wright, B, Curtin, K, Monks, S, Kennedy, HG. Psychiatric morbidity in a cross-sectional sample of male remanded prisoners. Ir J Psychol Med 2005; 22(4): 128–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Duffy, D, Linehan, S, Kennedy, HG. Psychiatric Morbidity in the male sentenced Irish prison population. Ir J Psychol Med 2006; 23(2): 54–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Fazel, S, Danesh, J. Serious mental disorder in 23 000 prisoners: a systematic review of 62 surveys. Lancet 2002; 359: 545–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Birmingham, L, Mason, D, Grubin, D. Prevalence of mental disorder in remand prisoners: consecutive case study. BMJ 1996; 313: 1521–1524.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Irish Prison Service. Irish Prison Service Report 2004. Dublin: Government Publications, The Stationery Office, 2005Google Scholar
7.Duffy, D, Linehan, S, O'Neill, H, Kennedy, HG. Irish Travellers and forensic mental health. Ir J Psychol Med 2002; 19(3): 76–79.Google Scholar
8.Robins, LN, Regier, DA. Psychiatric Disorders in America: The Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study. New York: Free Press, 1991.Google Scholar
9.Melzer, H, Gill, B, Petticrew, M. OPCS surveys of psychiatric morbidity. Bulletin 1: the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among adults aged 16-64, living in private households in great Britain. London: OPCS, 1994.Google Scholar
10.Endicott, J, Spitzer, R. A diagnostic interview – the schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1978; 35: 837–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.World Health Organisation. The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders. Geneva, WHO 1992.Google Scholar
12.Murray, RM, Grech, A, Phillips, P, Johnson, S. What is the relationship between substance abuse and schizophrenia? In: Murray, RM, Jones, PB, Susser, E, van Os, J, Cannon, M (eds). The Epidemiology of Schizophrenia. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 2003.Google Scholar
13.Reiger, DA, Kaelber, CT, Rae, DS. Comorbidity of mental disorders with alcohol and other drug abuse. JAMA 1990; 264: 2511–2518.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Rasanen, P, Tihonen, J, Isohanni, M, Rantakakallio, P, Lehtonen, J, Moring, J. Schizophrenia, alcohol abuse and violent behaviour. Schiz Bull 1998; 24: 437–441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Arsenault, L, Moffitt, TE, Caspi, A, Taylor, PJ, Silva, PA. Mental disorders and violence in a total birth cohort. Arch Gen Psych 2000; 57: 979–986.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Kemali, M, Kelly, L, Gervin, M, Browne, S, Larkin, C, O'Callaghan, E. The prevalence of comorbid substance misuse and its influence on suicidal ideation among in-patients with schizophrenia. Acta Psychiat Scand 2000; 101 (6): 452–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Baigent, MRUnderstanding alcohol misuse and co-morbid psychiatric disorders. Curr Op Psych 2005; 18(3): 223–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Hunt, GE, Bergen, J, Bashir, M. Medication compliance and comorbid substance abuse in schizophrenia: impact on community survival 4 years after a relapse. Schiz Res 2002; 54(3): 253–64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Green, Al, Drake, RE, Brunette, MF, Noordsy, DL. Schizophrenia and co-occurring substance use disorder. Am J Psych 2007; 164(3): 402–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Drake, RE, Bartels, SJ, Teague, GB, Noordsy, DL, Clark, RE. Treatment of substance abuse in severely mentally ill patients. J Nerv Ment Disease 1993; 181(10): 606–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Drake, RE, Mueser, KT, Brunette, MF, McHugo, GJ. A review of treatments for people with severe mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders. Psych Rehab J 2004; 27(4): 360–74CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.O'Neill, C, Sinclair, H, Kelly, A, Kennedy, HG. Interaction of forensic and general psychiatric services in Ireland: learning the lessons or repeating the mistakes? Ir J Psychol Med 2002; 19(2): 48–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.O'Neill, C, Kelly, A, Sinclair, H, Kennedy, H. Deprivation: Different implications for forensic psychiatric need in urban and rural areas. Soc Psych Psychiatric Epidem 2005; 40: 551–556.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24.Eastman, N. Mental Health Law: Civil Liberties and the Principle of Reciprocity. BMJ 1994; 308: 43–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.Purchase, ND, McCallum, AK, Kennedy, HG. Evaluation of a psychiatric court liaison scheme in North London. BMJ 1996; 313: 531–532.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.James, D. Court diversion at 10 years: can it work, does it work and has it a future? J Forensic Psych 1999; 10: 507–524.CrossRefGoogle Scholar