Title: Preventing Suicide in Prison Inmates - Psychiatry Advisor
Headings: Preventing Suicide in Prison Inmates
Preventing Suicide in Prison Inmates
Linda Peckel
Patterns of Suicide in Prison
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Attempted Suicide
Methods and Opportunities
Prevention Strategies
References
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Content: 4,6 Many reports have indicated that successful suicide can occur within only a few inches from a supporting surface or floor. Strangulation by these methods can take several minutes and is accomplished using ligatures fashioned from sheets, clothing, or shoelaces, strung from any secure protrusion. Second to that are injuries from self-cutting and stabbing that cause significant blood loss or injury leading to death. A 2007 report by the World Health Organization 4 pointed to a strong influence of housing assignments in prison on suicide attempts, citing a “disproportionate” number of suicides that occur in solitary housing situations. Within the prison environment, psychological distress about bullying, conflicts with other inmates, disciplinary actions by prison staff, and hearing bad news regarding family or legal matters exacerbate the stress of imprisonment, where feelings of hopelessness and the sudden narrowing of future prospects leads to desperation and suicidal thoughts. A number of nonenvironmental factors also contribute to increased risk for suicide in prison, including poor social and family support, a history of mental illness and/or emotional problems, withdrawal from substance abuse, and a history of prior suicide attempts. 4,6 Seena Fazel, MD, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, explained to Psychiatry Advisor that in the participants in studies she collaborated on in Wales and England, “social support, which can come from a variety of sources including family, was a risk factor for severe self-harm episodes in prison.” She also noted that separation from family could be a contributing factor. “ When we systematically reviewed the literature in 2008, 6 there was a slight increase in suicide risk for those who were married,” she said. Related Articles
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Juvenile offenders, especially those who have never been incarcerated before, are particularly vulnerable to distress over separation from family and fears of the future, which, coupled with lessened coping skills and naturally excessive emotional responses, puts them at the highest risk for inmate suicide.