Posttraumatic stress symptoms among detained males in the Netherlands

• In Event: Prison Working Group: Mental health in prisons

Abstract

People with poor mental health are over-represented in the prison population. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is also relatively common among detained persons. As most existing research is cross-sectional in nature, knowledge about the course of PTSD symptoms over time among detainees is limited. The current longitudinal study examines (a) the extent to which male detainees experience PTSD symptoms both during and after their detention period; (b) how PTSD symptoms develop over time; and (c) which factors are associated with (the course of) PTSD symptoms.
Data from the Prison Project, a longitudinal study of the consequences of detention, were used, in which male prisoners in all penitentiary institutions in the Netherlands were repeatedly interviewed. The current study analyzes data from 467 respondents. PTSD symptoms in detention and six months after release were measured using the Self-Rating Inventory for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (SRIP). Regression analyzes were conducted to investigate to what extent demographic characteristics, prior detention experiences, exposure to aggression during detention, social support and respondents’ coping style are related to PTSD symptoms.
Three months after entering detention, 13% of men met the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis. Six months after release, this was 10%. The mean PTSD score decreased over time. Finally, it appears that exposure to aggression during detention, a higher degree of loneliness and using an avoidant coping style were associated with more PTSD symptoms. The findings provide important clues for interventions aimed at reducing PTSD symptoms in (former) prisoners.

Author

• Anja Dirkzwager, NSCR