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Prevalence of mental disorder and related treatments in a local jail: a 20-month consecutive case study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2011

Giuseppe Carrà ,
Caterina Giacobone ,
Florinda Pozzi ,
Pasquale Alecci  and
Francesco Barale
Giuseppe Carrà*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Sanitarie Applicate e Psicocomportamentali, Sezione di Psichiatria, Università di Pavia, Pavia
Caterina Giacobone
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Sanitarie Applicate e Psicocomportamentali, Sezione di Psichiatria, Università di Pavia, Pavia
Florinda Pozzi
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Sanitarie Applicate e Psicocomportamentali, Sezione di Psichiatria, Università di Pavia, Pavia
Pasquale Alecci
Affiliation:
Direttore Sanitario, Casa Circondariale di Pavia, Istituto di Medicina Legate, Università di Pavia, Pavia
Francesco Barale
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Sanitarie Applicate e Psicocomportamentali, Sezione di Psichiatria, Università di Pavia, Pavia
*
Address for correspondence: Dr. G. Carrà, Dipartimento di Scienze Sanitarie Applicate e Psicocomportamentali, Sezione di Psichiatria, Università di Pavia, Via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia. Fax- +39-0382-526.723 E-mail: giuseppe.carra@unipv.it
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Summary

Aims – To define the prevalence of mental disorder within an Italian local jail and to describe main psychiatric treatments provided. Methods – Cross-sectional study of consecutive male prisoners referred, over a twenty-month period, for a clinical psychiatric assessment, among population (N=990) of Casa circondariale “Torre del Gallo”, Pavia (I); clinical DSM-IV diagnostic assessment and retrospective analysis of provided psychiatric treatments (i.e. psychiatric visits and pharmacological prescriptions). Results – 191 men (19.3%) had one or more current mental disorders (excluding substance misuse), including 13 (1.3%) psychosis; 53 (5.4%) mood disorder; 24 (2.4%) anxiety disorder; 26 (2.6%) adjustment disorder; 40 (4.1%) personality disorder; 32 (3.2%) personality disorder plus mood disorder; 3 (0.3%) mental retardation. Substance- (N=89, 47%) and HIV-related (N=19, 10%) disorders comorbidity is recognised. Psychiatric visits are mainly provided to psychosis and personality disorder plus mood disorder subgroups. Off-label antipsychotics prescriptions are frequent. Conclusions – The prevalence of mental disorder in this population is higher than US and EU averages, and for particular diagnostic subgroups it could be underestimated. Psychiatric management in prison should be reorganized according to national and European health guidelines.

Keywords

mental disordersprevalenceprisonsprisonersmalepsychiatry
Type
Original Papers
Information
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , March 2004 , pp. 47 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

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