Prevalence Rates for Mental Disorders in Prisons—Implications and Treatment Programs
Author: Emil R. Pinta, MD.
Source: Volume 12, Number 04, May/June 2011 , pp.49-54(6)
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Abstract:
All mental disorders found in the open community also occur in prison, but generally at higher rates. An American Psychiatric Association (APA) taskforce estimated that 20 percent of jail and prison inmates have a serious mental illness, and 5 percent have an active psychotic disorder (APA, 2000). In a literature review done a decade ago, I examined prison prevalence studies meeting rigorous criteria of random sampling of population inmates, comprehensive structured interviews, and modern nomenclatures (DSM-III [APA, 1980] criteria or later) (Pinta, 1999). At that time, eight studies of U.S. prisoners fulfilled these requirements, and I am not now aware of any additional studies meeting these criteria.Keywords: DSM-IV, SMIs, gender, Outpatient Treatment, Group therapies, pharmacotherapy, Crisis Stabilization, Residential Treatment, suicidal ideation
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