Mentally ill inmates serve longer prison sentences on average than their mentally healthy peers. Mentally ill inmates are involved more commonly in disciplinary problems in prison also.
Overall, approximately 60% of mentally ill inmates receive some sort of mental health treatment while in custody. Two-thirds of inmates receiving treatment are in facilities that do not specialize in mental health treatment. Of state prisons, 155 specialize in mental health treatment—out of more than 1,500 facilities surveyed.3 Twelve facilities have mental health treatment as their primary function. Fewer than 2% of state inmates were housed in a mental health unit providing 24-hour care.
Psychiatric hospitalists in specialized treatment correctional settings have the opportunity to perform assessments and provide treatment to a patient population with a prevalence and severity of psychopathology that is not commonly seen in community psychiatric inpatient or outpatient practice today.
CRYSTAL BALL
Inpatient psychiatry will continue to be important in the future. There are great challenges ahead but the need for dedicated hospital psychiatrists won’t go away and will probably increase. The pressures on the shrinking number of inpatient beds will continue to grow. The lack of outpatient services in general and intensive outpatient services available to transition patients to on discharge is frustrating. The continued de-emphasis on availability of substance abuse treatment continues to perplex. TH
Dr. Lineberry is medical director, Psychiatric Acute Care Program, Mayo Psychiatry and Psychology Treatment Center, St. Mary’s Hospital, Rochester, Minn. Dr. Shine is senior associate consultant, Psychiatric Acute Care Program, Mayo Psychiatry and Psychology Treatment Center, St. Mary’s Hospital, Rochester, Minn.
REFERENCES
- Manderscheid RW, Atay JE, Hernandez-Cartagena MR, et al. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health, United States, 2002. Chapter 18. Highlights of organized mental health services in 2000 and major national and state trends. Available at www.mentalhealth.org/publications/allpubs/SMA04-3938/. Last accessed July 29, 2005.
- Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice. Mental health and treatment of inmates and probationers. Available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/mhtip.pdf. Last accessed July 29, 2005.
- Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice. Mental health treatment in state prisons. Available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/mhtsp00.pdf. Last accessed July 29, 2005.