Abstract
Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the rates of mental disorder among women in prison in Victoria, and to compare with community rates.
Design: A midnight census of all women in prison in Victoria was undertaken. Respondents were interviewed with a version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), an adapted version of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ-4+) and a demographics questionnaire.
Main Outcome Measures: Twelve-month prevalence rates of ICD-10 mental disorders including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and drug-related disorders were examined. Prevalence of personality disorders was also investigated.
Results: Eighty-four per cent of the female prisoners interviewed met the criteria for a mental disorder (including substance harmful use/dependence) in the year prior to interview. This rate was reduced to 66% when drug-related disorders were excluded. Fortythree per cent of subjects were identified as cases on a personality disorder screener. For all disorders, (except obsessive-compulsive disorder and alcohol harmful use) women in prison had a significantly greater likelihood of having met the 12-month diagnostic criteria when compared to women in the community. The most prevalent disorders among the female prisoners were: drug use disorder (57%), major depression (44%), Posttraumatic stress disorder (36%), and personality disorders. Almost a quarter (24%) of respondents were identified as a ‘case’ on the psychosis screen.
Conclusions: In the present study female prisoners had significantly higher rates of the mental disorders investigated (with the exceptions of OCD and alcohol harmful use) when compared with women in the community. The pattern of disorder found among female prisoners is consistent with the abuse literature, suggesting that histories of abuse among the prison population may account for part of the discrepancy. These results highlight the need for improved assessment and treatment resources to meet the demands of this population.
Notes
1Definitions of ‘current’ mental disorder in the literature vary from one month to 12 month prevalence rates.
2Note: The Metropolitan Womens Correctional Centre (MWCC) was renamed Dame Phyllis Frost Centre shortly before the conclusion of data collection.