Objective: Despite recognition of the extremely high rates of mental illness among custodial populations and the fact that Indigenous people represent around one-quarter of Australia's custodial population, little is known about the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody. Mental health is an important component of social and emotional wellbeing for Indigenous people and this paper considers current evidence regarding the mental health status of Indigenous Australians in custody.
Method: A systematic review was undertaken of the quantitative literature relating to the mental health problems of Indigenous people in custody in Australia.
Results: Despite high incarceration rates for Indigenous people and evidence that both mental health problems and rates of mental illness are extremely high in this group, studies in this area are few and limited in scope.
Conclusion: The first step toward addressing the marked social and mental health problems for Indigenous people in custody is to systematically identify the nature and extent of these problems.
Vos T,Barker B,Stanley L,Lopez AThe Burden of Disease and Injury in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Brisbane: School of Population Health, The University of Queensland; 2003:
3.
Krieg AS.Aboriginal incarceration: health and social impacts.Medical Journal of Australia. 2006;184:534-536
4.
Johnston ERoyal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Canberra: AGPS; 1991:
5.
Prisoners in Australia 2007. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics; 2007:
6.
Social and Emotional Well Being Framework 2004–2009. Canberra: Department of Health and Ageing, Social Health Section; 2004:
7.
The Health and Welfare of Australias Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Canberra: Australian Institue of Health and Welfare; 2005:
8.
Canberra: ABS; 2002:
9.
Zubrick SR,Silburn SR,Lawrence DMThe West Australian Child Health Survey: The Social and Emotional Well Being of Aboriginal Children and Young People. Perth: Curtin University of Technology and Telethon Institue for Child Research; 2005:
10.
Canberra: Australian Health Ministers Conference; 2003:
11.
Swan P,Raphael B“Ways Forward”: National consultancy report on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 1995:
12.
Butler T,Andrews G,Allnut S,Sakashita C,Smith NE,Basson J.Mental disorders in Australian prisoners: a comparison with a community sample.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2006;40:272-276
13.
Fazel S,Danesh J.Serious mental disorders in 23,000 prisoners: a systematic revew of 62 surveys.The Lancet. 2002;359:545-550
14.
Prisoners in Australia 2007. Canberra: ABS; 2007:
15.
Ypinazar VA,Margolis SA,Haswell-Elkins M,Tsey K.Indigenous Australians’ understandings regarding mental health and discorders.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2007;41:467-478
16.
White P,Chant D,Whiteford H.A comparison of Australian men with psychotic disorders remanded for criminal offences and a community group of psychotic men who have not offended.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2006;40:260-265
17.
Herrman H,McGorry P.Hidden severe psychiatric morbidity in sentenced prisoners: An Australian study.The American Journal of Psychiatry. 1991;148:236-239
18.
Tye CS,Mullen PE.Mental disorders in female prisoners.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2006;40:266-271
19.
Glaser WF.Admissions to a prison psychiatric unit.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 1989;19:45-52
20.
Butler T,Allnut S,Cain D,Owens D,Muller C.Mental Disorder in the New South Wales prisoner population.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2005;39:407-413
21.
Hurley W,Dunne M.Psychological distress and psychiatric morbidity in women prisoners.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 1991;25:461-470
22.
Hockings BA,Young M,Falconer A,O'Rourke PKQueensland Womens Prisoners. Brisbane: Department of Corrective Services Health Survey; 2002:
23.
Butler T,Allnut S,Kariminia A,Cain D.Mental health status of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australian prisoners.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2007;41:429-435
24.
Canberra: NHMRC; 2003:
25.
Andrews G,Peters LThe CIDI-Auto: A Computerised Diagnostic Intervew for Psychiatry. New York: World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse; 2001:
26.
Lawrie RSpeak Out Speak Strong: Researching the Needs of Aboriginal Women in Custody. Sydney: Aboriginal Justice Advisory Council; 2003:
27.
Stathis S,Letters P,Doolan I.Use of the Massachussets Youth Screening Instrument to assess mental health problems in young people within an Australian youth detention centre.Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. 2008;44:438-443
28.
Day A,Davey L,Wanganeen R,Casey S,Howells K,Nakata M.Symptoms of trauma, perceptions of discrimination and anger: a comparison between Australian Indigenus and non-Indigenous prisoners.Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 2008;23:245-257
29.
Weatherburn DSnowball LHunter BSydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research; 2006:
30.
Putt J,Payne J,Milner L.Indigenous male offending and substance abuse.Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice. 2005;293:1-6
31.
Hobbs MResearch and Public Policy Series 71. Canberra: Australian Institue of Criminology; 2006:2-5.
32.
Schlesinger CM,Ober C,McCarthy MM,Watson JD,Seinen A.The development and validation of the Indigenous Risk Impact Screen (IRIS): a 13-item screening instrument for alcohol and drug and mental health risk.Drug and Alcohol Review. 2007;26:109-117
33.
Belcher J,Al-Yaman FPrisoner Health in Australia: Contemporary Information Collection and a Way Forward. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; 2007:
