Assessing incarcerated women’s physical and mental health status and needs in a Swiss prison: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Women make up 5% of the European prison population on average. Almost invisible in prison and health research, and suffering the stigma associated with female offending, incarcerated women are often forgotten, and their specific healthcare needs remain much ignored. Combining face-to-face survey interviews and medical chart data, we aim to assess the health status, healthcare needs, and access to preventive medicine of women incarcerated in Switzerland. Results Sixty incarcerated adult women participated in a cross-sectional study to assess their life and incarceration histories, physical and mental health problems, medication, and use of medical services. Eligibility criteria were (a) an incarceration of at least four weeks and (b) the ability to provide written informed consent. Exclusion criteria were psychiatric instability and insufficient language competence. Women’s average age was 34.3 years old (SD = 9.8); 45.0% of them were born in Switzerland, 33.3% in Europe and 15.0% on the African continent. Overall, 61.7% of women self-reported physical or mental health problems and 13.3% indicated they were once diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection. Further, 78.3% of women were active cigarette smokers; more than one in three women reported alcohol use problems and almost one in two women had used at least one illicit drug in the year before incarceration. Depression and perceived stress scores were above clinical cut-off points for more than half of interviewed women. When asked how they rated their health, 68.3% of women felt it had worsened since incarceration. All but four women had accessed prison medical services; however, our study does not indicate whether women’s use of healthcare was indeed adequate to their needs. Conclusions This study demonstrated incarcerated women’s poor health and health-risk behaviours. Structural changes and gender-responsive health promotion interventions have the potential to improve the health of incarcerated women and help them return to the community in better health.

Women Behind Bars: A Scoping Review of Mental Health Needs in Prison

“…This is contrary to another research ( 16 ) which states that access to health services, especially meetings with psychiatrists and psychologists is not so difficult. More than 80.0% of female inmates had seen at least once with a psychiatrist or psychologist since their detention, and 71.7% in the previous four weeks.…”

“…Women prisoners often find it difficult to get treatment for drug and alcohol abuse problems ( 16 ). This is in accordance with research ( 35 ), which states that women prisoners do not always have access to substance abuse treatment and there is very few gender-responsive programs in prisons.…”

Assessment of Nutritional Status and Health Perception among Male Inmates in Israeli Prisons

“…Choudhry et al [ 37 ] interviewed male prisoners in two prisons in the United Kingdom regarding their beliefs, feelings and weight in prison, and found that the emotional consequences of imprisonment adversely affect weight. Similarly, Augsburger et al [ 38 ] recently reported an increase in the percentage of overweight female inmates during their prison duration, which could be explained by a reduction in PA, and by diet modifications, psychological distress, and other factors.…”

The use of benzodiazepines and the mental health of women in prison: a cross-sectional study

“…An estimate of the prevalence of nicotine use during imprisonment in low- and middle-income countries ranged from 5 to 87%, with an overall estimate of 56% 16 . A Swiss study found 78.3% rates of women smoking in prison 49 . The high prevalence of smoking in prison found in our study (65%) and in the international literature suggests that smoking-related policies need careful review.…”