Title of Research
Start Date
19-3-2018 9:30 AM
End Date
19-3-2018 11:00 AM
Abstract
Background: Research suggests that a large number of prisoners in the United States suffer from mental illness, with a portion actively psychotic at any given time. Though it is a constitutional right for prisoners to receive adequate mental health care, most correctional facilities in the country do not provide appropriate treatment.
Objectives: To explore what research has been conducted regarding the treatment of mental illness, specifically schizophrenia, in the US prison system and plans to improve the inadequacies.
Methods: This integrative literature review was conducted using the following keywords and phrases: schizophrenia in prison, schizophrenia in jail, psychosis in prison, psychosis in jail, mental health treatment in prison, mental health treatment in jail, prison intake, jail intake, inmates with schizophrenia, inmates with psychosis, mental health management in prison, mental health management in jail to search the literature between 2005 and 2017.
Results: Recurring issues that negatively affect the quality of mental health treatment were discovered in the literature. Those include misdiagnoses, insufficient funding, little or no proper training of employees, and understaffing.
Conclusions: This integrative literature review found that there is a significant lack of adequate treatment offered to those with mental health illnesses, specifically schizophrenia, in US prisons and jails. Considering the need for funding, development of training programs, and proper diagnoses could greatly improve the challenges associated with mental health and incarceration.
Keywords: mental health, mental illness, schizophrenia, psychosis, prison, jail, intake, inmate, management.
Included in
The Grace Peterson Research Colloquium
Background: Research suggests that a large number of prisoners in the United States suffer from mental illness, with a portion actively psychotic at any given time. Though it is a constitutional right for prisoners to receive adequate mental health care, most correctional facilities in the country do not provide appropriate treatment.
Objectives: To explore what research has been conducted regarding the treatment of mental illness, specifically schizophrenia, in the US prison system and plans to improve the inadequacies.
Methods: This integrative literature review was conducted using the following keywords and phrases: schizophrenia in prison, schizophrenia in jail, psychosis in prison, psychosis in jail, mental health treatment in prison, mental health treatment in jail, prison intake, jail intake, inmates with schizophrenia, inmates with psychosis, mental health management in prison, mental health management in jail to search the literature between 2005 and 2017.
Results: Recurring issues that negatively affect the quality of mental health treatment were discovered in the literature. Those include misdiagnoses, insufficient funding, little or no proper training of employees, and understaffing.
Conclusions: This integrative literature review found that there is a significant lack of adequate treatment offered to those with mental health illnesses, specifically schizophrenia, in US prisons and jails. Considering the need for funding, development of training programs, and proper diagnoses could greatly improve the challenges associated with mental health and incarceration.
Keywords: mental health, mental illness, schizophrenia, psychosis, prison, jail, intake, inmate, management.