title: Poor health and social outcomes for ex-prisoners with a history of mental disorder: a longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between self-reported lifetime diagnosis of mental disorder and health-related outcomes in prisoners during the first six months after release.
  
  
  METHODS
  We interviewed 1,324 adult prisoners in Queensland, Australia, within six weeks of expected release and one, three and six months post-release. Outcomes of interest included health service access, housing, employment, substance use and criminal activity. We used multivariate logistic regression to investigate the association between self-reported, lifetime diagnosis of mental disorder and these health-related outcomes post-release, adjusting for pre-existing disadvantage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  43.4% of participants reported a lifetime diagnosis of mental disorder. This group had increased crude odds of poor outcomes across all evaluated domains. After adjusting for pre-existing disadvantage, significantly increased odds of poor outcomes persisted in the substance use, mental health, crime and health service access domains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People with a history of mental disorder experience particularly poor outcomes following release from prison that are not fully explained by pre-existing disadvantage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence-based transitional programs for prisoners with a history of mental disorder should be provided at a level commensurate with need.
authors: Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria.
authors: Zoe
authors: Z
authors: Cutcher
authors: Louisa
authors: L
authors: Degenhardt
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Alati
authors: Stuart A
authors: SA
authors: Kinner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011330:Prisons; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Prisoners; longitudinal studies; mental disorders; outcomes research; post-release