The Use of a Digital Well-Being App (Stay Strong App) With Indigenous People in Prison: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Indigenous Australians in custody experience much greater rates of poor mental health and well-being than those of the general community, and these problems are not adequately addressed. Digital mental health strategies offer innovative opportunities to address the problems, but little is known about their feasibility in or impact on this population.

Objective: This study aims to conduct a pilot trial evaluating the impact of adding the Stay Strong app to mental health and well-being services for Indigenous women and men in custody.

Sexual knowledge of Queensland forensic mental health patients: A cross-sectional quantitative study.

Forensic patients with serious mental illnesses (SMI) encounter significant challenges including active symptomatology, associated social and interpersonal impairments, psychotropic medication side effects and institutionalization, all of which negatively affect sexual functioning and possibly their acquirement of sexual knowledge. Evidence shows an increased prevalence of high-risk sexual behavior by this group however, there is an absence of literature examining the sexual knowledge of forensic patients. This quantitative cross-sectional study enrolled = 50 patients currently under the treatment requirements of a Forensic Order and utilized the validated General Sexual Knowledge Questionnaire (GSKQ) to quantify the participants' sexual knowledge over the domains of physiology, sexual intercourse, pregnancy, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexuality.

The sexuality and sexual experiences of forensic mental health patients: An integrative review of the literature.

Introduction: Sexuality is an integral aspect of the human experience that defines an individual. Robust research, substantiated by the World Health Organization, demonstrates that healthy sexuality improves mental health and quality of life. Despite this level of global advocacy and clinical evidence, sexuality and sexual health as determinants of health have been largely overlooked in the mental healthcare of patients being treated under the requirements of a forensic order (forensic patients).

Association between contact with mental health and substance use services and reincarceration after release from prison.

Objective: People released from prison who experience mental health and substance use problems are at high risk of reincarceration. This study aimed to examine the association between contact with mental health and substance use treatment services, and reincarceration, among adults released from prison.

Methods: Pre-release survey data from 1,115 adults released from prisons in Queensland, Australia were linked with administrative health and correctional records covering a median of 787 days post-release.

A Qualitative Study on Sexuality and Sexual Experiences in Community Forensic Mental Health Patients in Queensland, Australia.

This qualitative study reports on the sexuality and sexual experiences of community-based forensic mental health participants. The findings indicate that these participants feel the need for intimacy and want to engage in sexual activity more often than their neurotypical Australian peers. Participants identified their mental health and the side effects of compliance with prescribed psychotropic medications were barriers to achieving their desired level of sexual activity.

Using the Stay Strong App for the Well-being of Indigenous Australian Prisoners: Feasibility Study.

Background: The gap between mental health needs and resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the Indigenous people of Australia, is most marked in the prison population. Indigenous people are overrepresented in Australian prisons. In prison, this group experiences mental disorders to a greater degree than non-Indigenous prisoners.

The Sexual Development, Sexual Health, Sexual Experiences, and Sexual Knowledge of Forensic Mental Health Patients: A Research Design and Methodology Protocol.

There is substantial evidence that severe mental illness (SMI) can have significant impacts on general development, knowledge acquisition, and quality of life including sexual function. However, whilst the sexual development, sexual health, sexual experiences and sexual knowledge of the broader Australian community and the Australian prisoner population have been well-described, these concepts have been less explored in people with a SMI. In particular, there is an absence of research around these topics involving people who are subject to a treatment order (aka a Forensic Order) under the relevant jurisdictional Mental Health Act.

Case Report: The Sexual Experiences of Forensic Mental Health Patients.

The recovery-based approach to forensic mental health rehabilitation is to support the patient to achieve a fulfilling life-a principle which should include achieving a fulfilling sexual life. This paper presents four vignettes from forensic mental health patients. The four cases demonstrate the omission, avoidance and then judgement by forensic mental health clinicians around the intimate and sensitive, yet important domain of the patient's sexual life.

Mapping the prison mental health service workforce in Australia.

Objective: The rapidly growing number of people in prison in Australia, combined with the high prevalence of mental disorder in this population, results in high demand for mental health services in prison settings. Despite their critical role as part of a national mental health response, prison mental health services (PMHS) in Australia have been poorly characterised. In this paper, we describe findings of the first national survey of PMHS in Australia.

A comparison of the reported use of involuntary treatment orders within Australian jurisdictions.

Objective: This paper identifies publicly available data about the use of involuntary treatment orders within Australia and considers whether this reporting is sufficient given the gravity of the intervention.

Method: A search of mental health tribunal, health department and justice department annual reports was conducted to determine the use of involuntary treatment orders in Australia.

Results: Reporting of involuntary treatment orders varied significantly across jurisdictions; for example, South Australia reported 11,570 distinct orders made during a 12-month period while the Australian Capital Territory reported 627 for the same period.

Mental Health and Criminal Charges: Variation in Diversion Pathways in Australia.

Mental health and criminal justice legislation must provide the appropriate mechanisms for ensuring the assessment and care of mentally ill individuals. It must also balance the right to justice of these individuals with the rights of the community. In Australia, each jurisdiction has its own legislative provisions related to mental health, criminal legislation and sentencing, with variation in the mental health diversion options that are available.

Mental health services planning for G20 summit in Brisbane and assessment of impact.

Objective: The objective of this study was to inform planning for similar events, our aim was to describe planning undertaken by Brisbane Mental Health Services for the 2014 G20 Summit and the impact of the Summit on service use.

Methods: We analysed routinely collected service data comparing presentations and discharges for the same time period in two consecutive years.

Results: While presentations to mental health services increased from the previous year across a five-month period (including the month of G20), the week of the G20 Summit showed little change.

PTSD Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in Custody in Australia: Prevalence and Correlates.

Mental disorder and trauma experiences are highly prevalent among individuals in custody; however, the impact of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on functioning is rarely considered. Indigenous Australians are incarcerated at 13 times the rate of nonindigenous Australians and report high levels of trauma exposure and psychological distress. In analysis of the largest systematic study of mental disorder among indigenous Australians in custody (N = 396), we found that the 12-month prevalence of PTSD was high in both men (12.

Enhancing research quality through cultural competence: a case study in Queensland prisons.

Objective: To describe the processes undertaken to maximise cultural competence in a complex research project and illustrate how this enhanced the quality of the research and impact of the research outcomes.

Methods: An epidemiological survey of the mental health of Indigenous people in custody in Queensland was conducted using culturally informed research processes.

Results: The research process that enhanced cultural competence is described.

Medication use and knowledge in a sample of Indigenous and non-Indigenous prisoners.

Objective: To (a) characterise medication use and knowledge, according to Indigenous status, and (b) identify independent correlates of medication knowledge in a sample of adult prisoners.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 1,231 adult prisoners in Queensland, interviewed within six weeks of release. Measures included self-reported demographic and health-related characteristics, self-reported use of medications, the Hayes Ability Screening Index (HASI) and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36).

Validating a screening tool for mental health and substance use risk in an Indigenous prison population.

Introduction And Aims: The Indigenous Risk Impact Screen (IRIS) is a validated culturally appropriate and widely used tool in the community for assessing substance use and mental disorder. This research aimed to assess the utility of this tool in an Indigenous prison population.

Design And Methods: The study used data collected from a cross-sectional study of mental health among Indigenous inmates in Queensland custodial centres (n = 395, 84% male).

Prevalence of mental illness among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland prisons.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of mental disorder in a representative sample of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland prisons.

Design, Setting And Participants: Cross-sectional assessment of mental health using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and clinical interviews, conducted by Indigenous mental health clinicians who undertook specific training for this purpose, with support from forensic psychiatrists when indicated. We assessed adults who self-identified as Indigenous and were incarcerated in six of the nine major correctional centres across Queensland (housing 75% of all Indigenous men and 90% of all Indigenous women in Queensland prisons) between May and June 2008.

The insidious problem inside: mental health problems of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in custody.

Objective: Despite recognition of the extremely high rates of mental illness among custodial populations and the fact that Indigenous people represent around one-quarter of Australia's custodial population, little is known about the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody. Mental health is an important component of social and emotional wellbeing for Indigenous people and this paper considers current evidence regarding the mental health status of Indigenous Australians in custody.

Method: A systematic review was undertaken of the quantitative literature relating to the mental health problems of Indigenous people in custody in Australia.

Substance-use disorders and psychological distress among police arrestees.

Objectives: To determine the 12-month prevalence of substance-use disorders and psychological morbidity in an Australian arrestee population.

Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study.

Participants And Setting: 288 police arrestees at the Brisbane City Police Watch House in February and March 2001.