A cross-sectional survey of prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among prisoners in New South Wales, Australia

Larney, Sarah; Topp, Libby; Indig, Devon; O'Driscoll, Colmán; Greenberg, David M.

doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-14

Cited by 95 publications

(144 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Two-fifths (21%) of inmates had seriously thought about suicide; one in 10 had ever made a suicide attempt. Rates are lower than those reported in studies of prisoners in England and Wales (Singleton et al, 1998) and Australia (Larney, Topp, Indig, O'Driscoll, & Greenberg, 2012). Suicidal ideation and attempts are robust risk factors for suicide (Hayes, 1995) and must be taken seriously.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Psychiatric needs of male prison inmates in Italy

Piselli

Attademo

Garinella

et al. 2015

International Journal of Law and Psychiatry

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Psychiatric needs of male prison inmates in Italy

Piselli

Attademo

Garinella

et al. 2015

International Journal of Law and Psychiatry

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“…We found three studies of risk factors for suicide in European prison populations, in which associations were reported with violent offences, 20 increased cell occupancy, 21 and self-harm 22 . Furthermore, we identified one cross-sectional study of self-harm in prison that investigated correlates of lifetime suicidal ideation 23 . Rates of suicide 3,20 and lifetime rates of self-harm 19 are consistently higher in custody than in the general population, and self-harm is a major risk factor for suicide in prisoners 6,22 .…”

Section: Tablementioning

confidence: 99%

Self-harm in prisons in England and Wales: an epidemiological study of prevalence, risk factors, clustering, and subsequent suicide

et al. 2014

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SummaryBackgroundSelf-harm and suicide are common in prisoners, yet robust information on the full extent and characteristics of people at risk of self-harm is scant. Furthermore, understanding how frequently self-harm is followed by suicide, and in which prisoners this progression is most likely to happen, is important. We did a case-control study of all prisoners in England and Wales to ascertain the prevalence of self-harm in this population, associated risk factors, clustering effects, and risk of subsequent suicide after self-harm.MethodsRecords of self-harm incidents in all prisons in England and Wales were gathered routinely between January, 2004, and December, 2009. We did a case-control comparison of prisoners who self-harmed and those who did not between January, 2006, and December, 2009. We also used a Bayesian approach to look at clustering of people who self-harmed. Prisoners who self-harmed and subsequently died by suicide in prison were compared with other inmates who self-harmed.Findings139 195 self-harm incidents were recorded in 26 510 individual prisoners between 2004 and 2009; 5–6% of male prisoners and 20–24% of female inmates self-harmed every year. Self-harm rates were more than ten times higher in female prisoners than in male inmates. Repetition of self-harm was common, particularly in women and teenage girls, in whom a subgroup of 102 prisoners accounted for 17 307 episodes. In both sexes, self-harm was associated with younger age, white ethnic origin, prison type, and a life sentence or being unsentenced; in female inmates, committing a violent offence against an individual was also a factor. Substantial evidence was noted of clustering in time and location of prisoners who self-harmed (adjusted intra-class correlation 0·15, 95% CI 0·11–0·18). 109 subsequent suicides in prison were reported in individuals who self-harmed; the risk was higher in those who self-harmed than in the general prison population, and more than half the deaths occurred within a month of self-harm. Risk factors for suicide after self-harm in male prisoners were older age and a previous self-harm incident of high or moderate lethality; in female inmates, a history of more than five self-harm incidents within a year was associated with subsequent suicide.InterpretationThe burden of self-harm in prisoners is substantial, particularly in women. Self-harm in prison is associated with subsequent suicide in this setting. Prevention and treatment of self-harm in prisoners is an essential component of suicide prevention in prisons.FundingWellcome Trust, National Institute for Health Research, National Offender Management Service, and Department of Health.

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“…A meta-analysis of nearly 5000 suicide deaths in prisons (mostly in the US) found that the risk of suicide was 15 times higher among those who experienced recent suicidal ideation, and approximately 50% of people who died by suicide in prison had a history of self-harm (Fazel et al 2008). In an Australian study, 15–21% and 34–44% of people in prison reported a lifetime history of attempted suicide and suicidal ideation, respectively (Larney et al 2012). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-harm and suicidal behaviour among incarcerated adults in the Australian Capital Territory

et al. 2018

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BackgroundSuicide is the leading cause of death in prisons worldwide. Improved understanding of the factors associated with suicide is necessary to inform targeted suicide prevention and interventions. Here we aim to (a) document the prevalence of suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and mental disorder; and (b) identify demographic, mental health, and criminal justice correlates of suicidal ideation, in a sample of incarcerated adults in Australia.MethodsData were obtained from the 2016 Detainee Health and Wellbeing Survey conducted in the Alexander Maconochie Centre, the Australian Capital Territory’s only adult prison. Interviews with 98 incarcerated adults were conducted in October 2016. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all measures. Crude differences between participants who reported experiencing suicidal ideation in their lifetime and those who did not were compared using Fisher’s exact test.ResultsNearly half of the participants (48%, n = 47) reported lifetime suicidal ideation and 31% (n = 30) reported attempting suicide at some point in their lives. Eighteen participants (18%) reported a lifetime history of having engaged in self-harm. Factors significantly associated with suicidal ideation included lifetime history of mental disorder, self-harm, experiencing a drug overdose, and being hospitalized in the past 12 months.ConclusionThe burden of suicidal ideation and prior suicide attempts among people in prison is substantial. Incarceration is a pivotal opportunity to identify people with a history of mental health problems and target interventions aimed at reducing adverse outcomes including suicide mortality.

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A cross-sectional survey of prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among prisoners in New South Wales, Australia

Cited by 95 publications

References 31 publications

Psychiatric needs of male prison inmates in Italy

Psychiatric needs of male prison inmates in Italy

Self-harm in prisons in England and Wales: an epidemiological study of prevalence, risk factors, clustering, and subsequent suicide

Self-harm and suicidal behaviour among incarcerated adults in the Australian Capital Territory

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