This study examined 91 women entering Oregon's prison system using a combination of psychometric testing and clinical interviews, to assess their need for mental health care. The incidence of mental disorders was high in this population and rarely did the women receive only one diagnosis. Substance abuse/dependence (91%) and affective disorders (42%) were the most prevalent diagnoses that co-occurred in the majority of cases. Psychotic disorders were not often identified. Our study points to two overlapping groups of women who are need of treatment while in prison, those with affective and/or substance abuse problems.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Anglin, M. D. , & Hser, Y. I. (1991). Criminal justice and the drug-abusing offender: Policy issues of coerced treatment. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 9, 243-267.
2.
Bland, R. C. , Newman, S. C., Dyck, R. D., and Orn, H. (1990). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders and suicide attempts in a prison population. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 35, 407-413.
3.
Chiles, J. A. , VonCleve, E., Jemelka, R. P., & Trupin, E. W. (1990). Substance abuse and psychiatric disorders in prison inmates. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 41, 1132-1134.
4.
Cloninger, C. R. , & Guze, S. B. (1970). Psychiatric illness and female criminality: The role of sociopathy and hysteria in the antisocial woman. American Journal of Psychiatry, 127, 303-311.
5.
Coid, J. (1984). How many psychiatric patients in prison?British Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 78-86.
6.
Cote, G. & Hodgins, S. (1990). Co-occurring mental disorders among criminal offenders. Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 18, 271-281.
7.
Daniel, A. E. , Robins, A. J., Reid, J. C., & Wilfley, D. E. (1988). Lifetime and six-month prevalence of psychiatric disorders among sentenced female offenders. Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 16(4), 333-342.
8.
Glueck, B. (1918). A study of 608 admissions to Sing Sing prison. Mental Hygiene, 2, 85-151.
9.
Greenfeld, L. A. , & Minor-Harper, S. (1990). Women in prison. Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report.
10.
Herrman, H. , McGorry, P., Mills, J., & Singh, B. (1991). Hidden severe psychiatric morbidity in sentenced prisoners: An Australian study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 236-239.
11.
James, J. F. , Gregory, D., Jones, R. K., & Rundell, O. H. (1980). Psychiatric morbidity in prisons. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 31, 674-677.
12.
Jemelka, R. , Trupin, E., & Chiles, J. A. (1989). The mentally ill in prisons: A review. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 40, 481-491.
13.
Jemelka, R. P. , Wiegand, G. E., Trupin, E. W., & Chiles, J. A. (1991). Validation of a computerized offender screening and prediction battery.
14.
Novick, L. F. , Penna, R. D., & Schwartz, M. S. (1977). Health care status of the New York prison population. Medical Care, 15, 203-216.
15.
Regier, D. A. , Farmer, M. E., Rae, D. S., Locke, B. Z., Keith, S. J., Judd, L. L., & Goodwin, F. K. (1990). Comorbidity of mental disorders with alcohol and other drug abuse—Results from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Study. Journal of the American Medication Association, 264, 2511-2518.
16.
Rogers, J. L. , Sack, W. H., & Bloom, J. D. (1983). Women in Oregon's insanity defense system. Journal of Psychiatry and the Law, 11(3), 515-532.
17.
Steadman, H. J. , Fabisiak, S., Dvoskin, J., & Holohean, E. J. (1987). A survey of mental disability among state prison inmates. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 38, 1086-1090.
18.
Turner, T. H. , & Tofler, D. S. (1986). Indicators of psychiatric disorder among women admitted to prison. British Medical Journal, 292, 651-653.
19.
Way, B. B. , Dvoskin, J. A., & Steadman, H. J. (1991). Forensic psychiatric inpatients in the United States: Regional and system differences. Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 19(4), 405-412.
