This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow View responses
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by BROOKE, D.
Right arrow Articles by MADEN, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by BROOKE, D.
Right arrow Articles by MADEN, A.
The British Journal of Psychiatry (2000) 177: 248-251
© 2000 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Substance misuse as a marker of vulnerability among male prisoners on remand

DEBORAH BROOKE, CAECILIA TAYLOR, JOHN GUNN and ANTHONY MADEN

Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London

Correspondence: Deborah Brooke, The Bracton Centre, Bexley Hospital, Old Bexley Lane, Bexley, Kent DA5 2BW,UK. Tel: 01322 294300; fax: 01322 293595

Declaration of interest The study was funded by the Home Office Research and Planning Unit, for the Directorate of Health Care. The views expressed are the authors' own.

Background More treatment for substance misuse should be provided within prisons.

Aims To examine differences between prisoners on remand with substance misuse problems and other prisoners on remand.

Method Random selection and interview of unconvicted male prisoners (n=750, a 9.4% sample), plus examination of the prison medical record.

Results Of the sample of 750,253 subjects (33.7%) reported either drug- or alcohol-related health problems or dependency. Compared with other prisoners on remand, they reported more childhood adversity, conduct disorder, self-harm, past psychiatric treatment and current mood disorder, and had fewer qualifications, were more likely to be unemployed and have more housing difficulties.

Conclusions One-third of unconvicted men in prison report substance-related problems, and these are a marker for vulnerability within a disadvantaged population. Health care providers should involve this group in treatment and rehabilitation, both inside prison and following release.




eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Substance abuse in Sri Lanka – A growing problem.
Ravi Jayawardana
BJP Online, 5 May 2005 [Full text]