More than 10% of new male prisoners suffer from a psychiatric disorder

MENTAL health experts have called for the reform and expansion of prison psychiatric services after it emerged that more than one in 10 new male inmates have a psychiatric disorder and one in 20 are in need of transfer to psychiatric hospital.

Findings from a survey on the prevalence of serious mental health concerns in prisoners, published yesterday during the seventh national disability research conference, have revealed that a significant number of new male inmates are suffering from a series of service psychological concerns.

According to the research team, led by the Central Mental Hospital’s clinical director Prof Harry Kennedy, out of 615 new prisoners assessed in the last 12 months 2.8% were suffering from a “psychotic illness”.

After six months, this figure was likely to rise to 3.7%, with 8% potentially suffering from severe mental health concerns during their life.

Among the most common diagnostic categories recorded by the study were schizophrenia and drug/organic psychoses, while “severe” depression had a current prevalence of 3.7%, a six-month prevalence of 5.2%, and a lifetime prevalence of 11.9%.

A further 60.6% of the sample group, the researchers added, had a current substance misuse problem which impacted on their mental health.

Calling for the new figures to be taken seriously, Prof Kennedy said that prison mental health and forensic psychiatric services should be the subject of “considerable expansion” to meet the needs of prisoner patients.

Adding that the rate of psychosis noted by the prison study is far higher than “community norms”, the research team added that action needed to be taken now to fully address the issue. “Ireland’s process of deinstitutionalisation may be impacting on the prevalence of mental disorder in prison committals now. Irish prison bed capacity has increased year on year over the last decade.

“The waiting list for committals to the Central Mental Hospital, the only forensic secure psychiatric hospital in Ireland has increased over recent years.

“The high prevailing rate of substance misuse, as found in committals, significantly complicates the management of these mentally ill individuals, and hinders their compliance with community treatment.”