Institute for International Research on Criminal Policy, Faculty of Law and Criminology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Eur Psychiatry. 2020 Nov 13;63(1):e101. doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2020.101.
Although research has identified a wide range of risk factors for suicidal behavior in prisoners, it does not establish who is most likely to act on their suicidal thoughts while incarcerated.
Self-report data were collected from a random sample of 1,203 adult men incarcerated across 15 prisons in Belgium, who represent 12% of all male prisoners nationwide.
One-third (33%) of participants reported having suicidal thoughts during their incarceration, of whom 26% attempted suicide in prison (9% of all prisoners). Factors independently associated with suicide attempt among prisoners with suicidal ideation were violent offending (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33-5.23), in-prison drug use (aOR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.25-4.22), exposure to suicidal behavior (aOR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.04-3.68), and a lifetime history of nonsuicidal self-injury (aOR = 1.90, 95% CI 1.08-3.36). While related to suicidal thoughts, markers of psychiatric morbidity and aspects of the prison regime were not associated with the progression to suicide attempt.
Many prisoners who think about suicide do not attempt suicide while incarcerated. Factors associated with suicidal ideation are distinct from those that govern the transition to suicidal behavior. Our findings lend support to the hypothesis that behavioral disinhibition might act as a catalyst in the translation of suicidal thoughts into action.
尽管研究已经确定了囚犯自杀行为的广泛风险因素，但它并不能确定谁最有可能在监禁期间对自杀念头采取行动。
从比利时 15 所监狱中随机抽取的 1203 名成年男性囚犯中收集了自我报告数据，他们代表了全国所有男性囚犯的 12%。
三分之一（33%）的参与者报告在监禁期间有自杀念头，其中 26%（占所有囚犯的 9%）在狱中试图自杀。与有自杀意念的囚犯自杀企图相关的独立因素包括暴力犯罪（调整后的优势比[aOR] = 2.64，95%置信区间[CI] 1.33-5.23）、狱中吸毒（aOR = 2.30，95% CI 1.25-4.22）、接触自杀行为（aOR = 1.96，95% CI 1.04-3.68）和非自杀性自我伤害的终身史（aOR = 1.90，95% CI 1.08-3.36）。虽然与自杀念头有关，但精神疾病的标志物和监狱制度的各个方面与自杀企图的进展无关。
许多考虑自杀的囚犯在监禁期间不会试图自杀。与自杀意念相关的因素与决定自杀行为的因素不同。我们的研究结果支持了这样一种假设，即行为抑制障碍可能是将自杀念头转化为行动的催化剂。
