title: Mental health and health-care use of detainees in police custody.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In many countries, forensic physicians function as primary care providers for detainees in police custody. Their task is comparable to the tasks of general practitioners. Nevertheless, problems presented by both patient populations may differ. We therefore aimed to systematically compare presented problems and medication use in a population of police detainees to those of regular patients in general practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health problems and prescription medications of 3232 detainees seen by the Amsterdam Forensic Medical Service were compared to those of general practice patients (n = 78,975) adjusted for age and gender during a 12-month period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among those obtaining medical attention (28% of all detainees), almost 50% were diagnosed with mental health problems, with substance abuse as the leading reason for consultation. Forty-two percent received at least one prescription affecting the nervous system. In general practice, 17% (P < 0.001) of patients consulting their GP were diagnosed with mental health problems and 22% (P < 0.001) were prescribed medications affecting the nervous system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The magnitude of mental health problems among police detainees has significant implications for the qualifications of police health staff and those who provide health care in the police setting especially concerning substance abuse.
authors: Public Health Service, Department of Epidemiology & Health Promotion, P.O. Box 2200, 1000 CE Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: tdorn@ggd.amsterdam.nl.
authors: Tina
authors: T
authors: Dorn
authors: Public Health Service, Department of Epidemiology & Health Promotion, P.O. Box 2200, 1000 CE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Manon
authors: M
authors: Ceelen
authors: Public Health Service, Department of Epidemiology & Health Promotion, P.O. Box 2200, 1000 CE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Marcel
authors: M
authors: Buster
authors: NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, The Netherlands.
authors: Irina
authors: I
authors: Stirbu
authors: NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, The Netherlands.
authors: Gé
authors: G
authors: Donker
authors: Public Health Service, Department of Forensic Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Kees
authors: K
authors: Das
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D016495:Police; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D002491:Central Nervous System Agents
keywords: Detainees; Forensic medicine; Forensic physician; Mental health; Police; Primary health care