Psychiatric treatment in jail: an experiment in health-care delivery.
The author discusses the source of referral, psychiatric diagnosis, and treatment of 539 inmates who were referred for psychiatric treatment in two metropolitan jails. Almost one-third of the patients were evaluated within 24 hours of their being booked into jail. Manifestly disordered and violent behavior accounted for 50 per cent of the referrals; almost half the patients were diagnosed as schizophrenic or manic. The author emphasizes the importance of a close working relationship with the custody staff to facilitate identifying inmates who need psychiatric treatment.
D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D011330:Prisons; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D014861:Washington