The Christchurch prisons psychiatric epidemiology study: methodology and prevalence rates for psychiatric disorders

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
An investigation into psychiatric morbidity in the prisons in Christchurch, New Zealand is described. There are no previously published epidemiology studies concerning New Zealand prison inmates. A total of 225 inmates were approached to take part in the study representing a census of female inmates and remanded males and a randomly selected cohort of 125 sentenced males. Interviewers administered the Composite International Diagnostic Instrument – Automated (CIDI‐A), a structured interview that generated both DSM‐III‐R and ICD 10 diagnoses. Interviews were completed on 183 inmates. Results reveal high lifetime and current prevalence rates for drug and alcohol abuse and dependence as well as high current and lifetime prevalence rates for affective disorders. Schizophrenia had a lifetime prevalence rate of 5% in the sentenced male population. Comparison with community epidemiological figures for psychiatric disorder reveal elevated lifetime and current prevalence rates among prison inmates for all major psychiatric diagnoses except generalized anxiety disorder. Implications for future treatment and service planning in forensic psychiatry are discussed with particular reference to a national epidemiology study of major psychiatric disorder in New Zealand prisons. Copyright © 1999 Whurr Publishers Ltd.