An integrated exploration of factors associated with psychological distress among older prisoners

Abstract

This paper compares the contributions of socio-demographic, health, mental health, social and environmental factors in explaining variations in psychological distress among older prisoners in two Australian states. One hundred and seventy-three prisoners (aged 50+ ) from 8 Australian prisons were interviewed using the Kessler Psychological Distress (K10) Scale. Three regression analyses were conducted to compare different models of 14 variables significantly associated with psychological distress. Independent variables most prominently associated with variations in psychological distress among older inmates were self-reported levels of social support, self-reported safety and ease of health care access. Difficulties in the built environment and mental health history were significantly explanatory of variations in older prisoner distress in two of the three models. The findings suggest that modifiable situational factors evident in current prison contexts are reasonably explanatory of variations in prisoner distress among older inmates.

Keywords:

• Prisoners
• older adults
• psychological distress
• ageing

Acknowledgements

The study was conducted by the Criminal Justice Research Consortium, Monash University and was carried out in partnership with the Victorian Department of Justice, the Victorian Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services and the New South Wales Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network. The authors wish to acknowledge the prisoners who participated in the research, and staff at prison locations who facilitated the study.