The Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Incarcerated Older Adults.

Objectives: In view of the growing number of older incarcerated persons in the United States, cognitive impairment represents one of the most challenging and costly health care issues facing the U.S. correctional system.

Psychoactive Medication Misadventuring in Correctional Health Care.

Due to multiple factors, unprecedented numbers of individuals with mental health disorders and many with comorbid substance use disorders are now incarcerated in jails and prisons. This article details a variety of medication use and potential abuse/misuse/misadventuring topics that are unique to the correctional health care setting, with emphasis on how the large number of persons with psychiatric and/or substance use disorders affects these issues and methods that correctional systems commonly use to manage these inmate-patients. Also discussed are the potential for inmate feigning or malingering as a goal-directed behavior, potential for misadventuring/abuse of commonly used medications, urine drug screening/surveillance, and the effect of psychoactive medications on heat tolerance and environmental issues.

Bupropion diversion and misuse in the correctional facility.

The antidepressant bupropion plays an important role in the treatment of mental health disorders. It is well known that incarcerated individuals are at increased risk of experimenting with psychiatric medications and it is imperative for prescribers and clinicians to understand the misuse potential of these medications, including bupropion. The mechanism of reinforcement of misuse of bupropion is related to the effect on dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitter systems.

Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the Texas juvenile correctional system.

Most studies assessing the burden of psychiatric disorders in juvenile correctional facilities have been based on small or male-only samples or have focused on a single disorder. Using electronic data routinely collected by the Texas juvenile correctional system and its contracted medical provider organization, we estimated the prevalence of selected psychiatric disorders among youths committed to Texas juvenile correctional facilities between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2008 (N = 11,603). Ninety-eight percent were diagnosed with at least one of the disorders.

Addressing the challenge of community reentry among released inmates with serious mental illness.

The purpose of the paper is to discuss the formidable challenges to community reentry and reintegration faced by U.S. prison inmates with serious mental illness and to describe various strategies for improving transitional services for these individuals.

Disparities in justice and care: persons with severe mental illnesses in the U.S. immigration detention system.

As the total number of persons held within the U.S. immigration detention system has grown, the number of detained persons with severe mental illnesses has grown correspondingly.

Risk of reincarceration among prisoners with co-occurring severe mental illness and substance use disorders.

This study examined whether the presence of a comorbid substance use disorder increased the risk of criminal recidivism and reincarceration in prison inmates with a severe mental illness. Our analyses of more than 61,000 Texas prison inmates showed that those with a co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorder exhibited a substantially higher risk of multiple incarcerations over a 6-year period compared to inmates with psychiatric disorders alone or substance use disorders alone. Further research is needed to identify the factors associated with criminal recidivism among released prisoners with co-occurring disorders.

Psychiatric disorders and repeat incarcerations: the revolving prison door.

Objective: A number of legal, social, and political factors over the past 40 years have led to the current epidemic of psychiatric disorders in the U.S. prison system.

A Test of Problem Behavior and Self-Medication Theories in Incarcerated Adolescent Males.

The purpose of this study is to examine the problem behavior and self-medication models of alcohol abuse in incarcerated male adolescents. Male adolescents (N = 56) incarcerated in a juvenile correction facility were administered a battery of psychological measures. Approximately 84% of adolescents with clinically significant alcohol-related problems prior to incarceration indicated use of alcohol for purposes of self-medication and 73% indicated that their alcohol use was associated with aggressive and rebellious behavior.

Use of the adolescent SASSI in a juvenile correctional setting.

The Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-Adolescent (SASSI-A) is used in evaluation and treatment planning for incarcerated juveniles. Validity of the SASSI-A in a juvenile correctional facility was examined using archival data. Findings generally support the validity of SASSI-A substance use scales.

Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of youth in juvenile detention and correctional facilities.

This practice parameter presents recommendations for the mental health assessment and treatment of youths in juvenile detention and correctional facilities. Mental and substance-related disorders are significant public health problems affecting youths in juvenile justice settings. Sufficient time is necessary to conduct a comprehensive diagnostic assessment, interview collateral historians, and review pertinent records to identify primary and comorbid conditions.

Pediatric psychotropic polypharmacy.

Study Objective: This study was a literature review designed to assess the rates of psychotropic "polypharmacy" in the pediatric population. Psychotropic polypharmacy was defined as the practice of prescribing two or more medications (e.g.

Juvenile justice mental health services.

As the second century of partnership begins, child psychiatry and juvenile justice face continuing challenges in meeting the mental health needs of delinquents. The modern juvenile justice system is marked by a significantly higher volume of cases, with increasingly complicated multiproblem youths and families with comorbid medical, psychiatric, substance abuse disorders, multiple family and psychosocial adversities, and shrinking community resources and alternatives to confinement. The family court is faced with shrinking financial resources to support court-ordered placement and treatment programs in efforts to treat and rehabilitate youths.