Background: We wished to determine whether prison inmates with severe mental disorders possess specific clinical characteristics compared with psychiatric in-patients suffering from similar problems.
Method: Under a case-control design, 69 male prison inmates suffering from a schizophrenic or major affective disorder were matched for age and diagnostic spectrum to 60 male psychiatric in-patients. Standardised interviews were used to diagnose psychiatric disorders according to DSM-III-R and social functioning criteria. Case-notes were reviewed to cull data regarding social life, criminal record and service use.
Results: Inmates were more likely to suffer from delusional/NOS psychotic disorders (72%) or major depression (70%), and psychiatric in-patients from schizophrenic or bipolar disorder (62% and 71%, respectively). Comorbidity was more prevalent among inmates than among in-patients, while in-patients presented less social autonomy than did inmates.
Conclusions: The clinical specificity of prison inmates with severe mental disorders clearly differentiates them from psychiatric in-patients, and warrants recognition of their special needs for assessment and integrated treatment approaches.