title: The prevalence of mental disorders in Spanish prisons.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of mental disorders among prisoners has been researched in a few countries worldwide but never previously in Spain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to estimate the lifetime and last month prevalence of mental disorders in a Spanish prison population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, epidemiological study of 707 male prisoners. Sociodemographic, clinical and offending data were collected by interviewers. Offending data were confirmed using penitentiary records. Mental disorders were assessed with the clinical version of the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition Axis I Disorders, and personality disorders were assessed through the Spanish version of the International Personality Disorders Examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The lifetime prevalence of mental disorder was 84.4%. Substance use disorder (abuse and dependence) was the most frequent disorder (76.2%) followed by anxiety disorder (45.3%), mood disorder (41%) and psychotic disorder (10.7%). The period (last month) prevalence of any mental disorder was 41.2%. Anxiety disorder was the most prevalent (23.3%) followed by substance use disorder (abuse and dependence; 17.5%), mood disorder (14.9%) and psychotic disorder (4.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although period prevalence figures, which are those generally provided in research into rates of mental disorder among prisoners, are useful for planning improvements to services within prisons, the fact that almost all of these men had a lifetime prevalence of at least one mental disorder suggests a much wider need for improving services, including community services, for this group.
authors.affiliation: Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. evicens@pssjd.org
authors.forename: Enric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vicens
authors.forename: Vicenç
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tort
authors.forename: Rosa María
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Dueñas
authors.forename: Álvaro
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Muro
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pérez-Arnau
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Arroyo
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Acín
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Vicente
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lluch
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Planella
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sarda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003417:Criminal Psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011330:Prisons; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult