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: 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. 4
Prevention Strategies
Although the rates of suicide in prisons have decreased with the implementation of known screening programs and suicide prevention strategies, there is still a long way to go. According to the 2013 Hayes report, “many jail suicides occur in facilities lacking comprehensive suicide prevention programs, with only 20% having written policies encompassing all the essential components.” 2
Hayes 2 and others outlined the essential features of an effective suicide prevention program, which include annual training and retraining of all correctional, medical, and mental health staff; evaluations of inmates at intake and ongoing screening/assessment for suicide risk; and procedures for effective communication about prisoner state of mind and suicide risk between outside entities (particularly from local jail transport) and correctional facilities, and between facility staff and the suicidal inmate.