Validating a screening tool for mental health and substance use risk in an Indigenous prison population

Abstract

Introduction and Aims. The Indigenous Risk Impact Screen (IRIS) is a validated culturally appropriate and widely used tool in the community

A bibliometric review of drug and alcohol research focused on Indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States

“…They concluded that an understanding of Indigenous cultures and drinking patterns are required to obtain reliable and accurate measures of Indigenous alcohol use. Encouragingly, there is some evidence from the relatively small number of drug and alcohol measurement studies conducted in Indigenous communities of researchers working with Indigenous communities to develop reliable and accurate measures of Indigenous drug and alcohol use that are culturally appropriate and acceptable to Indigenous peoples [32][33][34][35][36].…”

Decision curve analysis as a framework to estimate the potential value of screening or other decision‐making aids

“…Lower sensitivity of mental health history taking among Aboriginal and other minority race inmates is consistent with other studies reporting less access to services in the community among minority ethnic groups (Prins, Osher, Steadman, Robbins, & Case, ; Simpson, Brinded, Fairley, Laidlaw, & Malcolm, ). Rather than narrowing pre‐existing ethnic disparities in health care, screening could widen them; as such, others have argued unique tools are needed for ethnic and cultural minorities (Ober et al, ).…”

Mental Health Screening and Differences in Access to Care among Prisoners

“…20 Common screening tools may also perform worse for racial or ethnic minorities and women. 15,22,23 Screening presumes that needs are unrecognized by the individual and/or the health system. However, attitudinal barriers (e.g., preference to self-manage, perceived ineffectiveness of services, or lack of perceived need) are the most common reason that people do not seek services.…”