a Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health , Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.
b Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health , Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.
Glob Public Health. 2017 Feb;12(2):170-184. doi: 10.1080/17441692.2015.1091023. Epub 2015 Oct 14.
Research from high-income countries suggests that prison populations are affected disproportionately by mental illness. However, little research has examined mental health among prisoners in low- and middle-income countries or associations between mental health and contextual factors surrounding the prison experience among susceptible first-time inmates in these settings. The current study examines associations between connectivity, prison environment and mental health (major depression and substance use) among novice male inmates (n = 593) in three Mexico City prisons. Severe depression (46.2%), any substance use (53.8%) and heavy substance use (45.7%) were prevalent. Among key co-variates, recent visitors were protective for severe depression, conjugal visits for any substance use and prison employment for heavy substance use. Physical attacks were associated with increased prevalence of depression, sentence time served with both any and heavy substance use and overcrowding with any substance use. These findings suggest the need for routine health assessments to improve identification and treatment programmes to minimise mental health burden. Addressing demographic risk factors as well as contextual determinants, by decreasing physical violence and overcrowding and supporting outside connections for prisoners, may help improve inmate mental health.
来自高收入国家的研究表明，精神疾病在监狱人口中受到不成比例的影响。然而，很少有研究调查过中低收入国家囚犯的心理健康，也很少有研究调查过这些环境中易受影响的初次入狱囚犯的心理健康与监狱经历的背景因素之间的关联。本研究调查了墨西哥城三所监狱中 593 名男性新手囚犯（novice male inmates）的连通性、监狱环境和心理健康（重度抑郁和物质使用）之间的关联。严重抑郁（46.2%）、任何物质使用（53.8%）和重度物质使用（45.7%）较为普遍。在关键协变量中，近期访客对重度抑郁有保护作用，夫妻探访对任何物质使用有保护作用，监狱就业对重度物质使用有保护作用。身体攻击与抑郁的患病率增加有关，服刑时间与任何物质使用以及过度拥挤与任何物质使用有关。这些发现表明，需要进行常规健康评估，以改善识别和治疗方案，减轻精神健康负担。通过减少身体暴力和过度拥挤，支持囚犯与外界的联系，解决人口风险因素以及环境决定因素，可能有助于改善囚犯的心理健康。
