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Adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected prison inmates (Spain).

This cross-sectional study was carried out in two Spanish prisons. A group of 177 HIV-infected prison inmates were interviewed. Standardized personal interviews using a structured questionnaire were conducted to assess sociodemographic features and prison setting characteristics, clinical variables, social support and drug consumption. A simplified four-item questionnaire for self-reported adherence was used. A total of 24.3% were non-adherent. Predictors of non-adherence in the multivariate analysis included poor or lack of ability to follow the prescribed treatment regimen, no visits in a month, anxious and/or depressed mood, difficulty in taking medication, receiving methadone treatment, cannabis consumption and robbery as the reason for imprisonment. Adherence to antiretroviral therapy was higher than in the wider community. However, other variables related to the correctional setting, such as assignments within the facility, adaptability of the prison system to authorize the cell being opened in the event of missed medication, or legal situation had no effect on adherence for inmates with HIV disease.

Adult↗

Survey of risk behaviour and HIV prevalence in an English prison.

An anonymous, voluntary, linked cohort study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of HIV infection and identify risk factors for the spread of infection in an English prison. Three hundred and seventy-eight (68%) of the inmates participated. The HIV point prevalence was 0.26%. Injecting drug use (IDU) was the most significant HIV risk factor within 20% admitting IDU at any time, of whom 58% injected whilst in prison. Of those injecting in prison 73% shared needles. Two inmates admitted having sex with a male partner in prison. This study demonstrates that the potential exists in this setting for an outbreak of blood-borne virus infection; hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV infection. Injecting drug use and needle sharing represent the greatest risk.

Adult↗

Prison suicides and self-harming behaviours in Italy, 1990-2002.

Data on suicides, attempted suicides and other self-harming behaviours that occurred in Italian prisons from 1990 to 2002 was studied on official records, as documented by the Ministry of Justice. Over the study interval, completed suicide rates in Italian prisons were constantly about ten times higher than among the general population, but over time they did not increase significantly despite nearly a doubling in the absolute number of inmates. The rate of completed suicides in overcrowded prisons was about ten times higher than in non-overcrowded ones. Attempted suicides were about ten times higher than completed suicides, with females being significantly more likely to attempt to take their own lives and males being more likely to complete suicide. Self-injuring acts without the intent to die involve about one in every ten individuals, with foreigners (non-EU citizens mostly) being twice as likely to self-harm than residents. A better identification of the people suffering from mental disorders and a reduction in prison overcrowding are two key issues that need to be implemented to reduce the impact of suicide and self-harming behaviours among convicts.

Adolescent↗

The prison healthcare service: a workforce committed to change.

This article discusses the changes that are needed in the prison healthcare service, outlining the move to a multidisciplinary team approach, away from the outdated, medically dominated service which prevails today. This article supports the partnership arrangements put forward in 'The Future Organization of Prison Health Care' (Department of Health (DoH), 1999) and suggests how this can be achieved locally, calling on nurses working in the prison environment to be proactive and forge links with colleagues in local NHS services. The need for clinical governance to be firmly established and regular reports to be submitted to prison governors on the quality and provision of services is highlighted.

Delivery of Health Care↗

HIV, STD, and hepatitis risk to primary female partners of men being released from prison.

Incarcerated men in the US are at increased risk for HIV, STDs and hepatitis, and many men leaving prison have unprotected sex with a primary female partner immediately following release from prison. This paper addresses risk to the primary female partners of men being released from prison (N = 106) by examining the prevalence of men's concurrent unprotected sex with other partners or needle sharing prior to and following release from prison (concurrent risk). Rates of concurrent risk were 46% prior to incarceration, 18% one month post release, and 24% three months post release. Multivariate analysis showed concurrent risk was significantly associated with having a female partner who had one or more HIV/STD risk factors and having a history of injection drug use. Findings demonstrate need for prevention programs for incarcerated men and their female partners.

Adult↗

Rethinking the psychology of tyranny: the BBC prison study.

This paper presents findings from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) prison study - an experimental case study that examined the consequences of randomly dividing men into groups of prisoners and guards within a specially constructed institution over a period of 8 days. Unlike the prisoners, the guards failed to identify with their role. This made the guards reluctant to impose their authority and they were eventually overcome by the prisoners. Participants then established an egalitarian social system. When this proved unsustainable, moves to impose a tyrannical regime met with weakening resistance. Empirical and theoretical analysis addresses the conditions under which people identify with the groups to which they are assigned and the social, organizational, and clinical consequences of either doing so or failing to do so. On the basis of these findings, a new framework for understanding tyranny is outlined. This suggests that it is powerlessness and the failure of groups that makes tyranny psychologically acceptable.

Dominance-Subordination↗

The relationship between traumatic experiences, dissociation, and borderline personality pathology among male forensic patients and prisoners.

In the present study the relationship between traumatic experiences, dissociation, and borderline personality disorder pathology is examined in a group of 39 male forensic patients and 192 male prisoners. Sexual and emotional abuse are significantly more common among forensic patients than among prisoners. Patients also report a broader range of different kinds of traumas. Prisoners report significantly more dissociative symptoms. Analyses of the relationship of type of trauma on the one hand and dissociation and borderline personality pathology on the other show that sexual abuse is significantly associated with borderline personality pathology but not with dissociation among the patients. In the prison sample these associations are found only for familial but not extrafamilial sexual abuse. When the subjects are grouped on account of presence or absence of a borderline personality disorder, highly significant differences on dissociation are found between both groups. The results from this study lend support to the hypothesis that sexual abuse is not related to dissociative symptoms but merely to borderline personality pathology. Because most subjects in this study are not patients, these findings are not likely to be confounded by false memories of traumatic events that are recovered by psychotherapy. Furthermore, dissociative symptoms are found to be related to borderline personality pathology and not to the experience of traumatic events.

Adult↗

Evaluations of the quality of coping reported by prisoners who have self-harmed and those who have not.

Yufit and Bongar (1992) argued that a deficiency in coping skills is an important risk factor for suicidal behavior. Dear, Thomson, Hall, and Howells (1998) found that prisoners who had self-harmed in the past 3 days were less likely than a comparison group to have used problem-solving or active cognitive coping strategies to handle the most significant stressor of the past week, but it was not clear whether this represented a difference in the quality of coping responses used. In this study, three groups of blind raters (prisoners, prison officers, and forensic psychologists) rated the coping responses of the participants in Dear et al.'s study. The coping responses of self-harmers were judged less beneficial and more risky. Problem-solving strategies were most often cited as contributing to beneficial outcomes and the catharsis strategies employed by self-harmers were most often judged to be counterproductive. It remains unclear whether prisoners who self-harmed routinely employ poor quality coping strategies or if they simply used poor quality coping on this occasion.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections among men and women entering California prisons.

OBJECTIVE: We estimated the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection among newly arriving inmates at 6 California prisons. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study in 1999, urine specimens collected from 698 men aged 18 to 25 years and 572 women aged 18 years or older were tested at intake for C trachomatis and N gonorrhoeae using ligase chain reaction. An analysis of demographic and arrest-related correlates of C trachomatis and N gonorrhoeae infection was performed. RESULTS: The overall C trachomatis prevalence was 9.9% (95% CI=7.8%, 12.3%) among men aged 18 to 25 years, 8.9% (95% CI = 2.9%, 22.1%) among women aged 18 to 25 years, and 3.3% (95% CI=2.0%, 5.1%) among women overall. Three N gonorrhoeae cases were detected with an overall prevalence of 0.24% (95% CI=0.05%, 0.69%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of C trachomatis infection at entry to California prisons, especially among young female and male inmates, was high, which supports routine screening at entry into prison. In addition, screening in a jail setting where most detainees are incarcerated before entry into the prison setting may provide an excellent earlier opportunity to identify these infections and treat disease to prevent complications and burden of infection in this high-risk population.

Adolescent↗

HIV infection in an Ethiopian prison.

HIV-1 antibody was detected in 6.0 percent of prisoners in an Ethiopian prison. HIV-1 seropositivity was strongly associated with positive VDRL status (RR = 3.7) and recent admission to prison (RR = 3.5). Seropositive prisoners were more likely to have prostitute contacts. No correlation was found between seropositivity and number of sexual contacts, long-term sex partners, or dental extractions. HIV-1 infection in this area may be of recent origin and the high prevalence may reflect rates in the surrounding community.

Adult↗

Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a California State Prison, 1991.

OBJECTIVES: An investigation was conducted to determine whether ongoing transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was occurring in a California state prison. METHOD: Prison pharmacy records were used to identify cases of active tuberculosis (TB). RESULTS: Ten of the 18 cases of active TB treated at the facility during 1991 were diagnosed at the prison that same year (an incidence of 184 per 100,000). Three inmates were infectious for a total of 7 months while imprisoned. The prevalence of TB skin test-positivity among inmates was 30%, and the incidence of new infection attributable to incarceration was 5.9 per 100 inmates per year. CONCLUSIONS: Transmission of M. tuberculosis may be occurring in the California prison system.

Adult↗

Factor structure of the Spielberger Anger Expression scales when used with Australian prisoners.

The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory administered to prison inmates has supported the factor structure of the three anger expression scales although this structure has not been verified with Australian participants. Data collected from 397 Western Australian male prisoners produced a factor structure consistent with the scale structure outlined in the 1991 manual. Scale means and standard deviations were similar to those reported for U.S. and Canadian prisoners. It is therefore appropriate to use the standard scoring procedures with Australian male prisoners.

Adolescent↗

Presence of psychiatric morbidity in prison population in Kuwait.

This paper surveys the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in a Kuwaiti prison. The rate of major psychosis was considerably lower than the rate reported in other prison studies. Twenty-five percent of the sample had generalized anxiety disorder of a reactive nature which was most probably related to imprisonment itself. There was a preponderance of individuals suffering from personality disorder, alcoholism, and drug abuse problems. Prisoners with a diagnosis of major psychosis had very little exposure to psychiatrists and the large number of recidivists reflects the lack of a probation service. Financial embezzlement and drug/liquor smuggling remain the crimes of choice in Kuwait. Some underlying sociocultural factors are discussed and the need for an alternative prison-based therapeutic community service is emphasized.

Adult↗

Health maintenance behaviors of individuals with severe and persistent mental illness in a state prison.

The purpose of this grounded theory study is to define health and health-seeking behaviors of incarcerated individuals experiencing severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) in a state prison. The strategies used to prevent loss of control and maintain health in the prison environment were examined. Nineteen incarcerated individuals with SPMI were interviewed in a state prison. Constant comparative analysis of the data revealed that while establishing a "fit" with the core variable "loss of control" and its identified properties, differences were found in the enactment of health maintenance behaviors related to properties in the prison environment. Several of these behaviors are inconsistent with behaviors expected of individuals in a community day treatment center and reflect a need for bridging programs to facilitate entry into the "free" world. Correctional nurses and mental health providers in this system can advocate for incarcerated individuals with SPMI by developing programs that provide cost-effective intermediate care and collaborating with community health systems for continuity of care. The findings related to alcohol and drug abuse among incarcerated individuals with SPMI challenges mental health providers in both correctional facilities and community-based programs to generate appropriate and effective substance abuse treatment programs for these individuals.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Work conditions and urinary excretion of catecholamines--a study of prison staff in Sweden.

The hypothesis to be tested was whether characteristics of work situations affect the physiology of people when the effects of individual differences in medical/behavioral factors are minimized. Four prisons with different objective work conditions were chosen. The psychosocial work situation was recorded in a self-administered questionnaire. Morning plasma cortisol, blood pressure, and urinary excretion of catecholamines were measured. Analyses of variance showed that the four prisons differed significantly as to mean levels of decision latitude and skill discretion. Analyses of variance also showed significant differences between the prisons with regard to mean levels of noradrenaline at night during leisure time and a tendency towards differences in work time. The rank order of mean levels of noradrenaline in the four prisons was the same as the inverted rank order of mean levels in self-reported work conditions. Thus it seems that when collective data are used and when adjusted for other variables which might have an association with the dependent variables, differences in self-reported work conditions are reflected in the urinary excretion of noradrenaline. Of the three physiological variables used as dependent variables, urinary excretion of noradrenaline reflected arousal as an effect of work conditions more accurately than the other variables.

Employment↗

Transmission of hepatitis C within Australian prisons.

Transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) within prisons has long been suspected but has not been satisfactorily documented. We present four cases of HCV infection occurring during periods of continuous imprisonment. Each subject was HCV seronegative on entering prison and on repeat testing after 4-52 months in prison, but subsequently became seropositive. Two subjects gave a history of injecting drug use, and the most likely means of infection in the other two subjects were lacerations from barbers shears and lacerations arising from physical assault. There is an urgent need for detailed study of the incidence of HCV infection and the modes of transmission in prisons.

Adult↗

Captive care: changes in prison nursing.

Nursing in prisons is a new growth area. This article highlights how the major developments in mental health provision and changing health patterns in inmate populations have influenced the evolution of specialist nursing services for prisoners. Many issues concerning the role, training and salaries of nurses who work in prisons remain unresolved, however, and the complex ethical and legal conflicts remain ever-present in the prison environment.

Humans↗

Hospital pharmacy technicians function in Desert Storm enemy prisoner of war camps.

The 300th United States Army Reserve Field Hospital from Ashley, Pennsylvania was activated in November 1990 and deployed to Saudi Arabia in January 1991 in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm. The mission of the hospital was to treat enemy prisoners of war (EPWs) located at the 401st and 403rd Prisoner of War Camps. This article describes the role of the hospital pharmacy technicians performing their duties in the prison camp medical tent. Pharmacy technicians were added to the prison camp medical staff, which consisted of medics, physicians, and nurses to assume the challenging task of both ordering and prepackaging the large quantities of pharmaceuticals required to treat the enormous numbers of EPWs.

Drug Utilization↗