Mental Health Among Jail and Prison Inmates

Abstract

Previous studies provide insight into the mental health of jail and prison inmates, but this research does not compare the two groups of inmates. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this article examines how the association between incarceration and self-reported mental health varies by facility type, net of an array of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Both jail and prison inmates report high rates of depression, life dissatisfaction, heavy drinking, and illicit drug use. In adjusted logistic regression models, those incarcerated in jails, compared with those not incarcerated, have higher odds of depression (odds ratio [OR] = 5.06, 90% confidence interval [CI; 1.96, 13.11]), life dissatisfaction (OR = 3.59, 90% CI [1.40, 9.24]), and recent illicit drug use (OR = 4.03, 90% CI [1.49, 10.58]). Those incarcerated in prisons have higher odds of life dissatisfaction (OR = 3.88, 90% CI [2.16, 6.94]) and lower odds of recent heavy drinking (OR = 0.32, 90% CI [0.13, 0.81]) compared with those not incarcerated. Furthermore, jail inmates report significantly more depression, heavy drinking, and illicit drug use than prison inmates. These results suggest the association between incarceration and mental health may vary substantially across facilities and highlight the importance of expanding research in this area beyond studies of prisons. The results also indicate that public health professionals in the correctional system should be especially attuned to the disproportionately high levels of poor mental health outcomes among jail inmates.

Fatores associados à depressão em homens e mulheres presos

“…Being imprisoned in a penitentiary has been associated with depression in women, unlike other studies whose disorder is associated with CDP due to the abrupt decline in social contact and the exercise of social roles 8,10,11 . A more in-depth study would be necessary to understand this difference, however, one hypothesis would be the abrupt break in family ties during the sentence in the prison system.…”

“…Taking into account the high prevalence of depression among women, especially among those in prisons, there are some alternatives to deprivation of freedom 8 . Restorative justice and alternative sentences are options that allow better re-socialization with the maintenance of family ties, which is crucial for both women and children 37 .…”

“…The conditions of incarceration expose the individual to a series of risk factors related to the development and maintenance of depressive conditions 8 . These include the breakdown of affective relationships, isolation, abrupt rupture of daily activities and idleness 9 .…”

“Do You Want to Go Forward or Do You Want to Go Under?” Men’s Mental Health in and Out of Prison

“…Male prisons are typically hypermasculine environments ( Ricciardelli, 2015 ), which in turn can pose significant health risks for men ( Courtenay & Sabo, 2011 ). In addition, dwindling budgets, large volume and high turnover rates challenge efforts to prioritize health care for incarcerated men ( Yi, Turney, & Wildeman, 2016 ). The outcome is that the health of men in custody is poor, especially in comparison to the general male population ( Fazel & Baillargeon, 2011 ; Kouyoumdjian et al, 2015 ; Kouyoumdjian et al, 2016 ).…”

Bagaimana Warga Binaan Dengan Kasus Pencabulan Anak Memaknai Vonisnya? Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

“…Hal ini disebabkan oleh dorongan seksual yang lebih tinggi pada laki-laki dan perempuan lebih fokus pada membangun relasi dengan anak-anak, memiliki rasa empati yang lebih besar, dan cenderung pada pemenuhan afeksi melalui aktivitas bersama anak-anak karena sulitnya membangun relasi dengan teman sebaya (van der Put, van Vugt, Stams, & Hendriks, 2014 penjara. Adapun dampak tersebut muncul dalam bentuk penyangkalan (denial), distres psikologis, kecemasan, depresi, ganggua n kuantitas dan kualitas tidur, rasa malu, rasa bersalah, maupun perilaku kriminal lain dalam penjara, seperti bullying (Sinha, 2010;Tomar, 2013;Yi, Turney, & Wildeman, 2016;Fazel, Hayes, Bartellas, Clerici, & Trestman, 2016;Baćak, Andersen & Schnittker 2018).…”