The Use of Psychiatric Services Before Imprisonment: A Survey and Case Register Linkage of Sentenced Prisoners in Melbourne

Abstract

Information about contact with psychiatric services before imprisonment was obtained for a stratified random sample of sentenced prisoners, who were not receiving prison psychiatric care, in Melbourne's three metropolitan prisons. The sample of 158 men and 31 women was matched with the longitudinal person-linked records of state psychiatric service use in the Victorian Psychiatric Case Register (VPCR). Records of contact with the state services were found for 54 men (34%) and 19 women (61 %), including records of in-patient treatment for 25 men (16%) and 15 women (48%). For 64% of individuals with a positive match, the case-note diagnoses were substance use disorders only. Diagnoses of psych..