Predictors of mental health service utilization in the 12 months before imprisonment: analysis of results from a national prisons survey.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the self-reported history of health service utilization and help-seeking to those who are drug-dependent in the period of time prior to imprisonment.


METHODS
A cross-section survey of 3142 sentenced or remand prisoners in English prisons completed private, face-to-face interviews with trained Office for National Statistics staff covering a full structured psychiatric assessment interview. Specific questions about service utilization prior to imprisonment were included, as were questions on patterns of drug use and dependence prior to imprisonment.


RESULTS
Receipt of any form of help was demographically most strongly associated with being older, white and female. Women were about twice as likely as men to report having received help for mental or emotional problems. Older age was also consistently associated with greater levels of reporting having received help, for both genders but only for use of general practitioners. Being black was strongly associated with reduced likelihood of receiving help and this was maintained after adjusting for other sociodemographic variables. Opioid dependence alone or opioid dependence with stimulant dependence, psychiatric disorder alone and probable psychosis were all most predictive of service use in the 12 months prior to imprisonment.


CONCLUSIONS
In the year prior to imprisonment, the majority of mental health needs of these individual prisoners were not able to access help prior to imprisonment. Future strategies should aim for better health access before, during and after imprisonment.
Farrell
Michael
M
Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, London, UK. m.farrell@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Boys
Annabel
A
Singleton
Nicola
N
Meltzer
Howard
H
Brugha
Traolach
T
Bebbington
Paul
P
Jenkins
Rachel
R
Coid
Jeremy
J
Lewis
Glyn
G
Marsden
John
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011330:Prisons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology