Shannon Lynch
Professor of Psychology, Idaho State University
Key Findings
- Forty-three percent of incarcerated women reported experiencing serious mental illness during their lifetime.
- Thirty-two percent of participants experienced a serious mental disorder in the 12 months prior to the study.
- More than half of the participants (53%) experienced PTSD in their lifetime.
- More than a quarter (26%) of participants experienced both serious mental illness, substance use, and PTSD in their lifetime.
- About one third (29%) of participants experienced a serious mental illness and PTSD at the same time and about 38% of participants experienced both a serious mental illness and substance use disorder at the same time.
Description
In the article, “A Multisite Study of the Prevalence of Serious Mental Illness, PTSD, and Substance Use Disorders of Women in Jail,” Lynch and her co-authors examine incarcerated women in both rural and urban jails to determine prevalence of mental illness. The researchers collected their data by interviewing 491 randomly selected women from jails in Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, Washington, DC. The researchers screened the women for serious mental illness including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The results showed that 43% of incarcerated women reported experiencing serious mental illness during their lifetime. Thirty-two percent of participants experienced a serious mental disorder in the 12 months prior to the study. More than half of the participants (53%) experienced PTSD in their lifetime. More than a quarter (26%) of participants experienced both serious mental illness, substance use, and PTSD in their lifetime. About one third (29%) of participants experienced a serious mental illness and PTSD at the same time and about 38% of participants experienced both a serious mental illness and substance use disorder at the same time. The authors conclude that there is a critical need to to assess and provide treatment for women that enter the criminal justice system.