Purpose: Older incarcerated persons are an especially vulnerable segment of the prison population, with high rates of multimorbidity. This study aims to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older incarcerated persons' mental and physical health.
Design/methodology/approach: Participants were 157 currently-incarcerated persons age ≥50 years who were enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study before the pandemic. Anxiety symptoms (seven-item generalized anxiety disorder questionnaire), depressive symptoms (eight-item patient health questionnaire) and self-rated health (SRH) were assessed during in-person interviews completed before the pandemic and via mailed surveys during the pandemic (August-September 2020). A mediation model evaluated the relationship among anxiety, depression and SRH.
Findings: Participants were 96% male, racially diverse (41% White, 41% Black, 18% Hispanic/Other), with average age 56.0(±5.8) years. From before to during the pandemic, anxiety symptoms increased (worsened) (from 6.4 ± 5.7 to 7.8 ± 6.6; < 0.001), depressive symptoms increased (worsened) (from 5.5 ± 6.0 to 8.1 ± 6.5; < 0.001) and SRH decreased (worsened) (from 3.0 ± 0.2 to 2.6 ± 0.2; < 0.001). The total effect of worsening anxiety symptoms on worsening SRH (-0.043; < 0.001) occurs entirely because of worsening depressive symptoms, i.e. the direct effect was statistically non-significant -0.030 ( = 0.068).
Practical Implications: Older incarcerated persons experienced worsening mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic which was associated with worsening SRH. These findings have implications for health-care costs and services needed to care for this vulnerable group.
Originality/value: This is the first study to evaluate change in older incarcerated persons' mental health from before the COVID-19 pandemic to during the pandemic.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9289938 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-08-2021-0077 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Psychological stressors of imprisonment and coping of older incarcerated persons: a qualitative interview study.
BMC Public Health
January 2025
Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
Background: Imprisonment has a major impact on a person's psychological well-being. The proportion of older imprisoned persons is dramatically increasing worldwide, and they are likely to have greater physical and mental health needs compared to younger persons in prisons. However, there is currently a lack of research on the psychological stressors and the coping strategies of older imprisoned persons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe effectiveness of non-exposure to incarceration in preventing COVID-19 and mitigating associated events: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
BMC Public Health
January 2025
Department of Health Economics and Development, Ministry of Health, Distrito Federal, Brazil.
Background: For a long time, the penalty of imprisonment has been studied and criticized as ineffective in achieving the goals of resocialization and rehabilitation of offenders, and studies have associated incarceration with increased prevalence of disease. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization recommended decarceration as a prevention measure. The aim of this review was to analyze the effectiveness of non-exposure to incarceration in preventing COVID-19 and mitigating associated events.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOpioid-related harms and experiences of care among people in justice settings in New South Wales, Australia: evidence from the National Ambulance Surveillance System.
Harm Reduct J
January 2025
Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, VIC, Australia.
Background: People in justice settings experience higher rates of psychiatric morbidity, including alcohol and drug use disorders, compared with the general population. However, our understanding of opioid-related harms in justice settings is limited. This study used ambulance data to examine opioid-related harms and experiences of care in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, during periods of incarceration or detention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent Incarceration and HIV Risk Among Women Who Use Heroin.
JAMA Netw Open
January 2025
Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Importance: Women who use heroin in sub-Saharan Africa face elevated HIV risk linked to structural vulnerability including frequent incarceration. However, little is known about the association between incarceration and drug use and HIV outcomes among women who use heroin in Africa.
Objective: To estimate associations between incarceration and adverse HIV-related and drug use-related outcomes among women who used heroin.
Anxiety Contributes to Physical Health Among Older Adults Who Are Incarcerated in Prison.
J Gerontol Soc Work
January 2025
Department of Social Work, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.
This study explores links between anxiety and physical health among older adults (aged 45+) incarcerated in Kentucky state prisons. Using secondary data, independent sample t-tests, and hierarchical multiple linear regression, we identify disparities in anxiety and physical health among those with and without self-reported anxiety and the contribution of symptoms of anxiety to physical health in the sample. Findings show individuals with self-reported anxiety experienced increased impairment in daily activities, multimorbidity, and decreased physical health-related quality of life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant 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!