Abstract
Background: In western countries, imprisoned females are at high risk for suicide, but the risk in Chinese imprisoned females has not been well established. The aim of this study was to clarify the suicide risk and its correlates among imprisoned females in China. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, subjects were recruited from the Female Prison of Hunan province, China. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and criminological data. The Suicidality module of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) 5.0 and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used to assess suicide risk and mental health problems, respectively. Ordinal logistic regressions were used to identify independent factors associated with increased suicide risk. Results: A total of 2,709 imprisoned females completed the survey questionnaire. Twenty percent were rated as presenting suicide risk. Mental health problems [odds ratio (OR) = 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.00–1.47], self-reported help-seeking for mental health problems (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.11–2.56), violent offending (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.37–2.09), history of drug use (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.15–1.84), family history of mental disorders (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.10–2.23), marital status (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.05–1.58), and low educational level (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.11–1.67) were independently associated with increased suicide risk. Conclusion: One fifth of the imprisoned females are at risk for suicide. This study highlights the importance of assessing mental health status for suicide prevention among female prisoners.
Highlights
IntroductionMore than 10 million people are detained in prison [1]. Imprisoned females generally account for approximately 7% of the total imprisoned population, and that figure is growing [2]
Worldwide, more than 10 million people are detained in prison [1]
This study revealed that one fifth of imprisoned females demonstrated recent suicide risk
Summary
More than 10 million people are detained in prison [1]. Imprisoned females generally account for approximately 7% of the total imprisoned population, and that figure is growing [2]. Existing evidence showed an increased suicide risk in prison settings, especially for female prisoners [3, 4]. Compared with the general population, the suicide risk is increased ranged from 6- to 20-fold in female prisoners in western countries [3, 5]. A recent meta-analysis including 24 high-income countries showed the suicide risk among females is around nine times than in the general population [6]. Beyond these countries, little evidence represented suicide risk in low-income and middle-income countries, in China.
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