Prisoners with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Problems Research Paper

Prisoners with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Problems - Research Paper Example This article written by Diamond, Harzke, Magaletta and Baxter (2009) seeks to determine who seeks psychological services when entering prisons. Few studies have sought to explain the common characteristics among inmates seeking for mental illnesses. This study seeks to determine the characteristics of the inmate’s requesting psychological services upon their admission to prison. The researchers utilized a quantitative research including a sample population of 2,600 offenders that were newly admitted to a federal incarceration facility. During this exploratory study participants were assessed using the self-reporting assessment the Psychological Services Inmate Questionnaire (PSIQ). Participants came from 14 prisons throughout different locations in medium risk facilities. The research sample consisted of 2068 men (n=2068) and 606 women (n=606). The race composition of the study was 41% African American, 26% White, 32% Hispanic and 2% other. One-fifth of the participants were n on-United States citizens. All statistical analysis was done using SPSS. The study concluded that 79% of all participants had children. In addition, male participants were younger than female participants. Females were more likely to report previous mental health treatment including medication usage, suicidal ideation, and general mental health illnesses with the exclusion of hallucinations. The most commonly reported symptoms of mental illnesses corresponded with symptoms of depression and anxiety in both men and women sampled. Of the participants sampled only 11% requested psychological services/treatment while incarcerated. Based upon the results of the study researchers further hypothesize that many individuals entering prison facilities suffered from mental health illnesses prior to their incarceration. Further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis. This performed by Morgan and Patrick (2008) seeks to determine the effects of telemental health services on inmates.     Ã‚