A study of psychiatry morbidity and co-morbid physical illness among convicted and awaiting trial inmates in Jos prison.
BACKGROUND
Having a psychiatric diagnosis is still considered a major burden in life. In addition to dealing with stigma regarding mental illness, persons with severe mental illness have an added risk of having co-morbid medical illnesses that can further impair their already turbulent life. The importance of detecting co-morbid medical illnesses is to ensure a holistic treatment. This study assessed the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and co-morbid physical illness among convicted and awaiting trial inmates in Jos prison.


METHODS
A cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out among 608 male inmates in Jos maximum security prison, Plateau State, Nigeria. They were screened with self administered GHQ-28 questionnaire and interviewed using CIDI.


RESULTS
More than half (57%) of the studied subjects had a psychiatric disorder with substance use disorder as the commonest (48.7%) diagnosis. Physical co-morbidity was found in (18%) of the subjects with infectious disease (A00-A99) as the commonest source 13 (3.7%) of physical co-morbidity among the subjects. A statistically significant relationship was found between psychiatric disorder and co-morbid physical illness (p = 0.000).


CONCLUSIONS
The study showed a high rate of psychiatric morbidity and co-morbid physical illness with infectious disease being the commonest source of physical co-morbidity; and substance use disorder the commonest psychiatric disorder among the prison inmates.
Department of Psychiatry, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Electronic address: azuminiarmiyau@yahoo.com.
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Armiya'u
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Audu
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Obembe
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Adole
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Umar
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009549:Nigeria; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
Awaiting trial; Co-morbidity; Convicted; Physical illness; Prison; Psychiatric morbidity