Disease profiles of detainees in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland: gender and age differences in substance abuse, mental health and chronic health conditions

Abstract

BackgroundLiterature on the disease profile of prisoners that differentiates by age and gender remains sparse. This study aimed to describe the health of correctional inmates in terms of substance abuse problems and mental and somatic health conditions, and compare it by gender and age.MethodsThis study examined cross-sectional data from the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland on the health conditions of detainees who were in prison on January 1, 2011 or entered prison in 2011. Health conditions validated by physician examination were reported using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) version 10. The analyses were descriptive by groups of prisoners: the entire sample (All), Men, Older adults and Women.ResultsA total of 1,664 individuals were included in the analysis. Men comprised 91.5 % of the sample and had a mean age of 33 years. The other 8.5 % were women and had an average age of 39. Older adults (i.e., age 50 and older) represented 7 % of the total sample. Overall, 80 % of inmates were non-Swiss citizens, but the proportion of Swiss prisoners was higher among the older adults (51 %) and women (29 %). Overall, 41 % of inmates self-reported substance abuse problems. Of those, 27 % were being treated by psychiatrists for behavioral disorders related to substance abuse. Chronic infectious diseases were found in 9 % of the prison population. In addition, 27 % of detainees suffered from serious mental health conditions. Gender and age had an influence on the disease profile of this sample: compared to the entire prison population, the older inmates were less likely to misuse illegal drugs and to suffer from communicable infections but exhibited more problems with alcohol and a higher burden of chronic health conditions. Female prisoners were more disposed to mental health problems (including drug abuse) and infectious diseases. In terms of chronic diseases, women suffered from the same conditions as men, but the diseases were more prevalent in women.ConclusionIt is important to understand the different disease profiles of prisoners by gender and age, as it helps identify the needs of different groups and tailor age-and gender-specific interventions.

Exploring differences in healthcare utilization of prisoners in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland

“…This study uses cross-sectional data on the 1664 adult inmates who were incarcerated in the closed prisons of the canton of Vaud at any point in 2011 and who had a medical examination upon entry (see [ 10 ] for more details on the dataset). The data contain detailed information on HCU, demographics, chronic diseases and contextual factors systematically collected by the prison medical staff.…”

“…The needs factors are proxied byindicators for chronic somatic and mental health conditions, which are reported using the International Classification of Diseases, version 10 (ICD-10). As previously established in an epidemiological study of disease prevalence using this sample of prisoners [ 10 ], somatic conditions are sorted into the following groups: infectious (HIV, hepatitis B and C), skin, musculoskeletal, digestive, circulatory, endocrine, respiratory and nervous system. Mental health conditions are grouped as schizophrenia, mood disorders, neurotic disorders, behavioural syndrome, personality disorder and mental retardation.…”

Polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions among older and younger male prisoners in Switzerland

“…Today, older prisoners, aged 50 and more, are still a minority in the Swiss prison population (Moschetti et al, 2015) as well as prison population in other countries. However, they form one of the fastest growing prison sub-groups (Human Rights Watch 2012).…”

Self-Reports of Health before and during Imprisonment in Female Inmates

“…As stated recently by Moschetti et al [11], descriptive studies are needed to raise awareness of the specific health issues of detained women and to support the decision-making about the most appropriated health services in female prisons.…”