Depression in elderly life sentence prisoners.
BACKGROUND
The life sentence population is growing older and increasing in number. Despite the potential negative physical and social environment in prisons little is known about the prevalence or aetiology of depression in elderly 'lifers'.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of depression in elderly life sentence prisoners.


METHODS
One hundred and twenty-one elderly life/indeterminate sentence prisoners from two category B prisons in the United Kingdom were interviewed using the Geriatric Depression Scale and the relationship with prison and non prison specific variables analysed.


RESULTS
Over half of the prisoners scored above the threshold for mild depression. The length of sentence served and other prison related variables were not associated with the depression score. However, the imported chronic physical ill health was strongly related to depression score.


CONCLUSIONS
Depression in long term prisoners is common and is related to the burden of imported chronic ill health as opposed to specific effects of imprisonment.
Murdoch
Nicholas
N
Memory Assessment and Research Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. kitnocks@zoom.co.uk
Morris
Paul
P
Holmes
Clive
C
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005852:Geriatric Psychiatry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology