Lifetime prevalence and correlates of self-harm and suicide attempts among male prisoners with histories of injecting drug use

No Thumbnail Available
File version
Author(s)
Stewart, Ashleigh
Cossar, Reece
Dietze, Paul M
Armstrong, Gregory
Curtis, Michael
Kinner, Stuart A
Ogloff, James RP
Kirwan, Amy
Stoove, Mark A
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2018
Size
File type(s)
Location

Auckland, New Zealand

License
Abstract

Introduction and Aims Histories of self‐harm and suicide attempts are common among people in prison in Australia, and substance dependence is an established risk factor for these lifetime experiences. We describe the prevalence of self‐reported history of non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts in a cohort of men with recent histories of injecting drug use imprisoned in Victoria, Australia.

Design and Methods Participants completed a researcher‐administered structured questionnaire in the weeks prior to release from prison. Exposure measures were examined with Poisson regression.

Key Findings More than one‐third (37%) reported a history of NSSI and almost half of participants (47%) reported a history of suicide attempts. A history of NSSI was associated with: self‐reporting a mental illness diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06‐2.58); current poor psychiatric well‐being (aOR=1.40; 95% CI 1.07‐1.85); and self‐reporting ≥3 drug overdoses (aOR=1.71; 95% CI 1.21‐2.42). History of a suicide attempts was significantly associated with: self‐reporting a mental illness diagnosis (aOR=1.80; 95% CI 1.21‐2.69); and self‐reporting a history of 1‐2 (aOR=1.36; 95% CI 1.01‐1.82) and ≥3 (aOR=1.44; 95% CI 1.10‐1.89) drug overdoses.

Discussions and Conclusions We observed a disconcertingly high lifetime prevalence of NSSI and suicide attempts among incarcerated males with injecting drug use histories. Significant associations with indicators of mental illness and drug related harms support the need to prioritise in‐prison screening and continuity of care between community and prison health to reduce the risk of prospective harms for this population.

Journal Title
Conference Title

Drug and Alcohol Review

Book Title
Edition
Volume

37

Issue

S3

Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
DOI
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Biomedical and clinical sciences

Human society

Psychology

Science & Technology

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Substance Abuse

Persistent link to this record
Citation

Stewart, A; Cossar, R; Dietze, PM; Armstrong, G; Curtis, M; Kinner, SA; Ogloff, JRP; Kirwan, A; Stoove, MA, Lifetime prevalence and correlates of self-harm and suicide attempts among male prisoners with histories of injecting drug use, Drug and Alcohol Review, 2018, 37, pp. S68-S68