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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Suicidal behaviour is a global public health concern that disproportionately affects the most vulnerable members of society, including prisoners.
AIM: To map the epidemiology and risk factors for suicidal behaviour in Belgian prisons, and make recommendations to improve its management and prevention.
METHOD: A national case file analysis of all suicides in Belgian prisons over a 20-year period (2000-2019) and a large-scale survey study covering 13% of the prison population nationwide (n = 1326).
RESULTS: Suicide accounts for one-third (33%) of all deaths in Belgian prisons. One in five (22%) prisoners in Belgium have attempted suicide in their lifetime, half of whom (10%) did so while incarcerated. Female prisoners have a higher prevalence of suicidal thoughts and attempts than their male counterparts. Risk factors for suicidal behaviour in prison include recent suicidal ideation, previous self-harm, psychiatric morbidity, environmental stressors, and aspects of the prison climate.
CONCLUSION: In Belgium, suicidal behaviour is five times more common in prisoners compared to the general population. We propose an integrated prevention model that incorporates targeted interventions aimed at high-risk individuals in combination with population strategies that promote the health and wellbeing of all people in prison.
Language: nl |