Murderers or thieves at risk? Offence-related suicide rates in adolescent and adult prison populations

Radeloff, Daniel; Stoeber, Franziska S.; Lempp, Thomas; Kettner, Mattias; Bennefeld-Kersten, Katharina

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0214936

Cited by 15 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…We identified 8033 relevant studies in the database search and eight additional records through other sources, of which 43 new studies, not indentified in the 2007 systematic review, 4 met eligibility criteria ( figure 1 ). 1 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 The total number of identified publications for the meta-analysis was 77, of which 34 were from the original review 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 ,…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk factors for suicide in prisons: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Zhong

Senior

et al. 2021

The Lancet Public Health

130

105

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Summary Background Rates of suicide among people in prison are elevated compared with people of similar age and sex who are living in the community. Improving assessments and interventions to reduce suicide risk requires updated evidence on risk factors. We aimed to examine risk factors associated with suicide in prisoners. Methods We did an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of risk factors for suicide among people in prison. We searched five biblographic databases for articles published between Jan 1, 2006, and Aug 13, 2020, and one database for articles published between Jan 1, 1973, and Aug 13, 2020. Eligible studies reported risk factors in individuals who died by suicide while in prison and in controls from the general prison population. Two reviewers independently extracted data for each study using a standardised form. We calculated random-effects pooled odds ratios (ORs) for the association of suicide with demographical, clinical, criminological, and institutional risk factors, and investigated heterogeneity using subgroup and meta-regression analyses. This systematic review is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42020137979. Findings We identified 8041 records through our searches, and used 77 eligible studies from 27 countries, including 35 351 suicides, in the main analysis. The strongest clinical factors associated with suicide were suicidal ideation during the current period in prison (OR 15·2, 95% CI 8·5–27·0), a history of attempted suicide (OR 8·2, 4·4–15·3), and current psychiatric diagnosis (OR 6·4, 3·6–11·1). Institutional factors associated with suicide included occupation of a single cell (OR 6·8, 2·3–19·8) and having no social visits (OR 1·9, 1·5–2·4). Criminological factors included remand status (OR 3·6, 3·1–4·1), serving a life sentence (OR 2·4, 1·3–4·6), and being convicted of a violent offence, in particular homicide (OR 3·1, 2·2–4·2). Interpretation Several modifiable risk factors, such as psychiatric diagnosis, suicidal ideation during the current period in prison, and single-cell occupancy, are associated with suicide among people in prison. Preventive interventions should target these risk factors and include improved access to evidence-based mental health care. Understanding other factors associated with suicide might improve risk stratification and resource allocation in prison services. Funding Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration Oxford and Thames Valley.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk factors for suicide in prisons: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Zhong

Senior

et al. 2021

The Lancet Public Health

130

105

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“…The link between violent crimes and suicide has also reported in other studies [13,15,16]. Radeloff and colleagues found the highest risks for suicide among offenders convicted for offences against life, bodily integrity or against sexual self-determination [16].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…One main nding was the association between suicide both in prison and after release and being convicted of murder: the risk of suicide in prison was more than 27 times higher among people convicted of murder, adjusted for other factors. The link between violent crimes and suicide has also reported in other studies [13,15,16]. Radeloff and colleagues found the highest risks for suicide among offenders convicted for offences against life, bodily integrity or against sexual self-determination [16].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…Additionally, the prison environment may contribute to an elevated risk of suicide [14], and the impact is likely magni ed among people with individual risks. Factors such as isolation and single cells have been found to be associated with suicide in prisoners [8,13,15], and studies have found elevated suicide risk among people imprisoned for severe violent offences [13,16]. In sum, factors associated with prisoner suicide include a range of clinical, psychosocial, and environmental factors [3,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Suicide in Prison and After Release: A 17-Year National Cohort Study

Bukten

Stavseth

2021

Preprint

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BackgroundTo describe all suicides in the Norwegian prison population from 2000 to 2017, during and following imprisonment; to investigate the timing of suicides; and to investigate the associations between risk of suicide and types of crime.Methods.We used data from the Norwegian Prison Release study (nPRIS) including complete national register data from the Norwegian Prison Register and the Norwegian Cause of Death Register in the period 1.1.2000 to 31.12.2016, consisting of 96 856 individuals. All suicides were classified according to ICD-10 codes X60-X84. We calculated crude mortality rates (CMRs) per 100 000 person-years and used a Cox Proportional-Hazards regression model to investigate factors associated with suicide during imprisonment and after release reported as hazard ratios (HRs).ResultsSuicide accounted for about 10% of all deaths in the Norwegian prison population and was the leading cause of death in prison (53% of in deaths in prison). The CMR per 100 000 person years for in-prison suicides was 133.8 and was ten times higher (CMR = 1535.0) on day one of incarceration. Suicides after release (overall CMR = 82.8) also peaked on day one after release (CMR = 665.7). Suicide in prison and after release were both associated with being convicted of murder (HR: 27.41, CI: 3.42-219.63 and HR: 2.79, CI: 1.54–5.06, respectively).ConclusionThere is a high risk of suicide during the immediate first period of incarceration and after release. Convictions for severe violent crime, especially murder, are associated with increased suicide risk, both in prison and after release.

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“…The WHO therefore recommends an initial screening for suicide risk factors within the first 24 hours of imprisonment [ 31 ]. There is a growing evidence base for risk factors for prison suicides in general, including criminological, mental health, social and environmental factors [ 16 , 18 , 19 , 36 ]. Below, we discuss the individual protective and risk factors associated with the time frame of early prison suicides.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicide after reception into prison: A case-control study examining differences in early and late events

et al. 2021

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Objective Prisoners constitute a high-risk group for suicide, with suicide rates about 5 to 8 times higher than in the general population. The first weeks of imprisonment are a particularly vulnerable time, but there is limited knowledge about the risk factors for either early or late suicide events. Methods Based on a national total sample of prison suicides in Germany between 2005 and 2017, suicides within the first 2 (4 and 8) weeks after reception into prison were matched by age and penalty length with cases that occurred later. Factors that potentially influence the timing of suicide were investigated. Results The study has shown that 16.7% (31.5%) of all 390 suicides in German prisons occurred within the first two weeks (two months) of imprisonment. Factors that facilitate adaptation to the prison environment (e.g. prior prison experience) were negatively associated with early suicide events. Factors that hindered the adaptation process (e.g. withdrawal from illicit drugs) were observed more frequently in early suicide events than in late ones. These factors are active at different times of imprisonment. Conclusion At reception, particular attention should be paid to the following factors associated with early suicide events: widowed marital status, lack of prison experience, and drug dependency.

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Murderers or thieves at risk? Offence-related suicide rates in adolescent and adult prison populations

Cited by 15 publications

References 29 publications

Risk factors for suicide in prisons: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Risk factors for suicide in prisons: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Suicide in Prison and After Release: A 17-Year National Cohort Study

Suicide after reception into prison: A case-control study examining differences in early and late events

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