Citation

Stoliker BE, Galli PM. Vict. Offender 2019; 14(4): 480-509.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15564886.2019.1608883

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Despite that prisons in the United States (and other high-income countries) have witnessed an increase in the proportion of older inmates, and that prison populations exhibit high rates of psychiatric illness, there is limited knowledge on the nature of older inmates' psychological health and use/provision of psychiatric care. The present study addresses these gaps, analyzing a nationally representative sample of 1,907 male and female older inmates (age range = 50-84 years; M = 56) housed in U.S. state and federal prisons. The results highlight: (a) the prevalence of psychological issues among older prisoners; (b) factors associated with certain mental disorders and symptoms of mental health issues; (c) the prevalence of psychiatric treatment before and during imprisonment for those with (and without) reported psychological health issues; (d) similarities and differences between male and female older inmates in relation to psychological health, factors associated with psychological issues, and the use/provision of psychiatric care.

DISCUSSION points toward recommendations for managing inmate mental health, as well as direction for further research on older inmate mental health and psychiatric care.

Language: en

Keywords

mental health; Older prisoners; psychiatric care