Document Detail


The health and health care of US prisoners: results of a nationwide survey.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19150898     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVES: We analyzed the prevalence of chronic illnesses, including mental illness, and access to health care among US inmates.
METHODS: We used the 2002 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails and the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities to analyze disease prevalence and clinical measures of access to health care for inmates.
RESULTS: Among inmates in federal prisons, state prisons, and local jails, 38.5% (SE = 2.2%), 42.8% (SE = 1.1%), and 38.7% (SE = 0.7%), respectively, suffered a chronic medical condition. Among inmates with a mental condition ever treated with a psychiatric medication, only 25.5% (SE = 7.5%) of federal, 29.6% (SE = 2.8%) of state, and 38.5% (SE = 1.5%) of local jail inmates were taking a psychiatric medication at the time of arrest, whereas 69.1% (SE = 4.8%), 68.6% (SE = 1.9%), and 45.5% (SE = 1.6%) were on a psychiatric medication after admission.
CONCLUSIONS: Many inmates with a serious chronic physical illness fail to receive care while incarcerated. Among inmates with mental illness, most were off their treatments at the time of arrest. Improvements are needed both in correctional health care and in community mental health services that might prevent crime and incarceration.
Authors:
Andrew P Wilper; Steffie Woolhandler; J Wesley Boyd; Karen E Lasser; Danny McCormick; David H Bor; David U Himmelstein
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.     Date:  2009-01-15
Journal Detail:
Title:  American journal of public health     Volume:  99     ISSN:  1541-0048     ISO Abbreviation:  Am J Public Health     Publication Date:  2009 Apr 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-03-11     Completed Date:  2009-03-30     Revised Date:  2011-07-27    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  1254074     Medline TA:  Am J Public Health     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  666-72     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
Departmentof Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, USA. wilp9522@u.washington.edu
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Adult
Chronic Disease / drug therapy,  epidemiology*
Comorbidity
Drug Utilization
Female
Health Care Surveys
Health Services Accessibility*
Health Status*
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Male
Mental Disorders / drug therapy,  epidemiology*
Middle Aged
Prescription Drugs / therapeutic use
Prevalence
Prisoners / psychology,  statistics & numerical data*
Regression Analysis
United States / epidemiology
Veterans / statistics & numerical data
Young Adult
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
5T32 HP110011//PHS HHS
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Prescription Drugs
Comments/Corrections
Comment In:
Am J Public Health. 2009 Nov;99(11):1925; author reply 1925-6   [PMID:  19762649 ]
Am J Public Health. 2009 Sep;99(9):1541-2; author reply 1542   [PMID:  19608937 ]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Public health legal preparedness in Indian country.
Next Document:  Measuring socioeconomic differences in use of health care services by wealth versus by income.