NCJ Number
181686
Journal
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Volume: 9 Issue: 2 Dated: 1999 Pages: 131-143
Date Published
1999
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The aims of this study were to determine prevalence rates of psychiatric disorder in the male and female prison populations of Christchurch (New Zealand) prisons, to provide epidemiological information that could be used to plan and improve psychiatric services to prisoners, and to act as a pilot study for a proposed national study to estimate prevalence rates for psychiatric disorder in the New Zealand prison population as a whole.
Abstract
A total of 225 inmates were approached to participate in the study, representing a census of female inmates and remanded males, as well as a randomly selected cohort of 125 sentenced males. Interviewers administered the Composite International Diagnostic Instrument-Automated, which is a structured interview that generates both DSM-III-R and ICD 10 diagnoses. Interviews were completed with 183 inmates. Results show high lifetime and current prevalence rates for drug and alcohol abuse and dependence, as well as high current and lifetime prevalence rates for affective disorders. Schizophrenia had a lifetime prevalence rate of 5 percent in the sentenced male population. A comparison with community epidemiological figures for psychiatric disorder shows elevated lifetime and current prevalence rates among prison inmates for all major psychiatric diagnoses except generalized anxiety disorder. Implications for future treatment and service planning in forensic psychiatry are discussed, with particular reference to a national epidemiology study of major psychiatric disorder in New Zealand prisons. 2 tables and 16 references