Mapping the prison mental health service workforce in Australia

Davidson, Fiona; Clugston, Bobbie; Perrin, Michelle; Williams, Megan; Heffernan, Edward; Kinner, Stuart A

doi:10.1177/1039856219891525

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Recent reviews of mental health services in Australia have found that prison mental health services are under-resourced compared to available benchmarks and international standards (Davidson et al, 2019), and that numerous service gaps in mental health services persist in the community (Productivity Commission, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding health and social service accessibility for young people with problematic substance use exiting prison in Australia

Gilchrist

Jamieson

Zeki

et al. 2022

Health Social Care Comm

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Incarcerated young people (aged 18–24) with a history of problematic substance use are a particularly vulnerable group, with a higher risk of mortality and return to custody compared to their older counterparts. Yet, there is limited research investigating service accessibility for this population. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating the characteristics of young people exiting prison on the ‘Connections Program’ (Connections) and their access to support services. Connections is a transitional program with a remit to link people with problematic substance use exiting prison in New South Wales, Australia, to health and social services in the community. We used an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach including (1) a retrospective cohort study of young people on Connections (n = 359), utilising self‐reported data collected in a routine pre‐release questionnaire from January 2008 to February 2015 and (2) a qualitative survey with Connections caseworkers (n = 10). In stage one, descriptive statistics were calculated to produce a profile of sociodemographic and health characteristics of young people with problematic substance use exiting prison. In stage two, qualitative data were thematically analysed to explore the accessibility of services to meet young people's needs from the perspective of caseworkers. The study found young people experienced substantially poorer mental health than the general population, and the vast majority had received treatment for a mental health issue (96.5%). Illicit substance use prior to incarceration was common (91.5%). Caseworkers reported substantial barriers to service accessibility in the community related to intersecting social disadvantage and co‐occurring mental distress and substance use. Caseworkers have front‐line knowledge of how gaps and barriers in services impact transition from prison and identified longer‐term case coordination, inter‐agency collaboration and holistic care as vital strategies to support young people in transition from prison to community.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding health and social service accessibility for young people with problematic substance use exiting prison in Australia

Gilchrist

Jamieson

Zeki

et al. 2022

Health Social Care Comm

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show abstract

“…38 Except for one jurisdiction, the rate of occupied full-time equivalent positions for prison mental health services was substantially lower than the estimated rate needed to be equivalent to community mental health service provision (0•7 vs 11 per 550 incarcerated people [NSW] and 3•4 vs 11 per 550 incarcerated people [Queensland]). 38,39 The research priority of education is reported to be an important social determinant of health. 40 Despite divergent claims made by different stakeholders regarding the merits of privatisation of education in prison in Queensland and, more recently, in NSW, 41,42 most NSW participants in the present study wanted research to improve education access and impact.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying research priorities to improve the health of incarcerated populations: results of citizens' juries in Australian prisons

Simpson

Guthrie

Jones

et al. 2021

The Lancet Public Health

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Health disparities in incarcerated populations should guide investment in the health care and research of these communities. Although users of health-care services are important in providing input into decisions about research, the voices of people in prison are absent regarding research into their health. In this Health Policy paper, we present priorities for research into the health of people in prison according to people in prison themselves. By use of a deliberative research approach, citizens' juries were conducted in six prisons (three men's and three women's prisons) in Australia. Participants were selected following submissions of expression of interest forms that were distributed within the prisons. Prerecorded information by experts in the health of incarcerated people was shown to participants. Participants deliberated for up to 4 h before agreeing on five research priorities. All citizens' juries endorsed mental health as a number one research priority. Prison health-care services, alcohol and other drug use, education, and infectious diseases were identified as research priorities by most citizens' juries. Focal points within priorities included serious mental illness; grief and trauma; medication management; health-care service access, quality, and resources; drug withdrawal and peer support; prison-based needle and syringe programmes; and health and life skills education. If endeavours in research priority setting are to consider health equity goals, the views of our most health affected citizens need to be included.

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“…This should be the case particularly when there is contact with the criminal justice system and early access could prevent the ‘predictable pathway’. Across Australia there is a dramatic shortfall in such services (Davidson et al, 2020). Access to appropriate mental health services and diversion options for Indigenous Australians with mental disorder who come into contact with police, courts and watch houses should be a key public health and justice priority, but is sadly lacking despite being highlighted three decades ago.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incarceration among adults living with psychosis in Indigenous populations in Cape York and the Torres Strait

Charlson

Gynther

Obrecht

et al. 2021

Aust N Z J Psychiatry

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Objective: The relationship between psychosis and contact with the criminal justice system for Indigenous people living in rural and remote areas is not well understood. In this study, the authors examine patterns of incarceration among Indigenous people living with psychosis in Cape York and the Torres Strait over two decades. Methods: Data were collated from a clinical database of complete psychiatric records from 1992 to 2015, extracted for all Indigenous patients with a psychotic disorder from the Remote Area Mental Health Service, and linked to the Queensland Corrections Service database. Descriptive statistics were calculated to compare characteristics between those incarcerated and those not incarcerated during the study period and to quantify patterns of incarceration including types of offences, time spent in custody and frequency of incarceration. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to assess associations between reported variables and ‘first incarceration’. Results: Forty-five percent of Aboriginal patients ( n = 116) were incarcerated compared with 31% of Torres Strait Islanders ( n = 41) ( p = 0.008), and the proportion of males incarcerated (51%, n = 141) was approximately twice that of females (24%, n = 35; p = 0.001). A cluster of first incarcerations were observed in close time proximity to diagnosis of psychosis. Individuals who had a history of both alcohol and cannabis use had approximately two times higher risk of being incarcerated following positive diagnosis compared to those without a history of substance use (hazard ratio = 1.85; 95% confidence interval: [1.08, 3.17]; p = 0.028). Males accounted for approximately 85% ( n = 328) of sentences. The most common most serious offence was causing physical harm to others (assault – n = 122, 31%). Conclusion: Our study found that for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with a psychotic disorder in North Queensland, criminal justice responses with resultant incarceration occurs frequently. Access to appropriate mental health services and diversion options for Indigenous Australians with psychosis should be a key public health and justice priority.

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Mapping the prison mental health service workforce in Australia

Cited by 10 publications

References 7 publications

Understanding health and social service accessibility for young people with problematic substance use exiting prison in Australia

Understanding health and social service accessibility for young people with problematic substance use exiting prison in Australia

Identifying research priorities to improve the health of incarcerated populations: results of citizens' juries in Australian prisons

Incarceration among adults living with psychosis in Indigenous populations in Cape York and the Torres Strait

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