Psychiatric Disorders in the Prison Population in the United States

By: Hassaan Tohid and Ian Hunter Rutkofsky

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Synopsis: This book discusses why different mental disorders arise in United States prison populations, explores potential solutions, and examines prevention. The US has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world and prisoners have disproportionally high rates of mental health concerns, which significantly affect their daily functioning and increase rates of recidivism. The first section of the book focuses on the causes and prevention of specific disorders. The disorders covered include anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and antisocial personality disorder, amongst others commonly found in the incarcerated patient population. Following the disorder-focused chapters is a chapter discussing the current state of mental health and mental health support within the US prison system. The book closes with a chapter dedicated to mental health support during the already highly challenging transition from incarceration to societal reintegration. For individuals with mental health conditions, the difficulty of this time increases exponentially, and the chapter focuses on reducing the need for and increasing the availability of mental health services. Psychiatric Disorders in the Prison Population in the United States will be of great use to mental health providers that treat current or members or former members of the US prison population.