Mental and physical health problems before and after detention: A matched cohort study.

Lancet Reg Health Eur

Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL) & Department of Sociology, Department of Human Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Published: September 2021

Background: Individuals with poor health are largely overrepresented in prison populations. However, it remains unclear whether their poor health status already exists prior to their detention or reflects an effect of detention. We examined the health of detainees in the year before and after their detention and compared this with the health of matched non-detainees.

Methods: In this matched cohort study, we linked national data on all persons detained in the Netherlands in 2014/2015 to electronic health records (EHR's) of a representative sample of general practitioners in the Netherlands. Participants include 952 detained persons and 4760 matched non-detained persons (matched on age, sex and general practice). Prevalence rates of health problems in the year before and after detention and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Rates for a variety of physical and mental health problems are presented.

Findings: Detainees and matched controls differed statistically significant in their pre-detention health status. Compared with controls, male detainees were more likely to report psychological (odds ratio [OR] 3·64 [95% CI 3·11-4·26]), social (1·96 [1·46-2·64]), neurological (1·34 [1·02-1·76]), digestive (1·23 [1·02-1·49]), genital system-related (1·36 [1·07-1·72]), and unspecified health problems (1·32 [1·10-1·59]) in the year before their detention. For example, 43·7% of detainees and 17·6% of controls reported psychological problems in this pre-detention year. To some extent these pre-detention health differences were related to socioeconomic differences. Nevertheless, after taking these characteristics into account, a number of pre-detention health differences between detainees and controls remained statistically significant. No statistically significant changes in prevalence rates from pre- to post-detention and no differences in the levels of change across detainees and controls were observed. For female detainees a similar pattern was found.

Interpretation: People who experience detention have high and complex health needs both pre- and post-detention. While this study did not show a health deteriorating effect of detention, it also did not show a health improving effect. This latter finding may indicate a missed opportunity for health care services to address detainees' health, especially since persons entering detention have elevated health problems. Knowledge on detainees' specific health problems may help health care providers in prisons and in the community to adequately address the health care needs of this vulnerable group.

Funding: None.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8454843PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100154DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

health problems
24
health
21
year detention
12
pre-detention health
12
health care
12
detention
9
matched cohort
8
cohort study
8
poor health
8
health status
8

Similar Publications

Prevalence of burnout and its determinants among Indonesian nurses: a multicentre study.

Sci Rep

December 2024

Faculty of Nursing, Chulalongkorn University, Borommaratchachonnani Srisataphat, Building, Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan, 10330, Bangkok, Thailand.

Frontline health workers face a significant issue concerning mental health, particularly stress and burnout. Nurses, being among them, grapple with this problem. The study aims to investigate the prevalence and determinants of burnout among nurses.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Patterns of Family Adversity and Bullying Involvement in Adolescents: Association With Mental Health Problems.

J Adolesc

December 2024

Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.

Introduction: Family and school environments are pivotal in adolescent development. However, the simultaneous examination of adversities in both domains remains understudied. Based on bioecological and spillover theories, this study aimed to bridge this research gap by using latent profile analysis to identify distinct patterns of family adversity and bullying involvement among Chinese adolescents.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging ( -MRSI) provides noninvasive spectral-spatial mapping of metabolism. However, long-standing problems in whole-brain -MRSI are spectral overlap of metabolite peaks with large lipid signal from scalp, and overwhelming water signal that distorts spectra. Fast and effective methods are needed for high-resolution -MRSI to accurately remove lipid and water signals while preserving the metabolite signal.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

is one of the opportunistic pathogens that may cause serious health problems and can produce several virulence factors, which are responsible for various infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. They are responsible for producing infections on indwelling medical devices by attaching on to them and forming a biofilm. Antibiofilm, antivirulence, and gene expression studies of biofilm treated with esters of flavonols were evaluated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Predicting Sarcopenia and Frailty Risk in Patients Post Heart Transplantation.

Clin Transplant

January 2025

Rehabilitation Research Center (REVAL), Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.

Introduction: Currently, there is little evidence on the prevalence and factors associated with sarcopenia risk or frailty risk in patients post heart transplantation (HTx). The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of sociodemographic, lifestyle, physical, and psychological factors on sarcopenia and frailty risk in patients post-HTx.

Methods: 133 patients post-HTx (59.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!