Gender- and violence-related prevalence of mental disorders in prisoners.

Objectives: To clarify the prevalence of mental diseases including personality disorders in a sample of German prisoners regarding delinquency and gender specificity.

Method: Crime history, present state and lifetime mental disorders, as well as personality disorders, were assessed amongst 415 inmates and compared regarding gender and type of delinquency.

Results: Female offenders more often committed homicide while male offenders more frequently committed assault and robbery. Men had a higher prevalence of alcohol abuse and dissocial PD while women more often showed depression, anxiety disorders and Borderline PD. Violent offences were related to a higher prevalence of alcohol abuse and dissocial PD, as well as higher comorbidities of mental disorders.

Conclusion: Results emphasize the complexity of the needs and requirements of imprisoned offenders. Our findings reveal an urgent need for psychiatric-psychotherapeutic services to provide suitable care to inmates in order to contribute to a more favorable legal prognosis.