Disparities in Mental Health Referral and Diagnosis in the New York City Jail Mental Health Service

To better understand jail mental health services entry, we analyzed diagnosis timing relative to solitary confinement, nature of diagnosis, age, and race/ethnicity.

We analyzed 2011 to 2013 medical records on 45,189 New York City jail first-time admissions.

Of this cohort, 21.2% were aged 21 years or younger, 46.0% were Hispanic, 40.6% were non-Hispanic Black, 8.8% were non-Hispanic White, and 3.9% experienced solitary confinement. Overall, 14.8% received a mental health diagnosis, which was associated with longer average jail stays (120 vs 48 days), higher rates of solitary confinement (13.1% vs 3.9%), and injury (25.4% vs 7.1%). Individuals aged 21 years or younger were less likely than older individuals to receive a mental health diagnosis and more likely to experience solitary confinement. Blacks and Hispanics were less likely than Whites to enter the mental health service, but more likely to experience solitary confinement.

More consideration is needed of race/ethnicity and age in understanding and addressing the punishment and treatment balance in jails.

Below:  Timing of entry into mental health services (n = 6673): New York City jail, 2011–2013. Note. Mean = 24.62 days; SD = 65.929 days. The sample size was n = 6673.

Below:  Timing of mental health service entry with respect to the first solitary confinement episode (n = 876): New York City jail, 2011–2013. Note. 0 = service entry on the first day of solitary confinement. Mean = –43.82 days; SD = 168.822 days. The sample size was n = 876.

Full article at: http://goo.gl/QOV8nq

By: Fatos Kaba, MA, Angela Solimo, MA, Jasmine Graves, MPH, Sarah Glowa-Kollisch, MPH, Allison Vise, BA, Ross MacDonald, MD, Anthony Waters, PsyD, Zachary Rosner, MD, Nathaniel Dickey, MA, MPH, Sonia Angell, MD, MPH, and Homer Venters, MD, MS

Fatos Kaba, Angela Solimo, Jasmine Graves, Sarah Glowa-Kollisch, Allison Vise, Ross MacDonald, Anthony Waters, Zachary Rosner, Nathaniel Dickey, and Homer Venters are with the Bureau of Correctional Health Services, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, NY. Sonia Angell is with the Division of Prevention and Primary Care, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Corresponding author.

Correspondence should be sent to Homer Venters, MD, MS, Bureau of Correctional Health Services, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 42-09 28th St, WS 10-84, Queens, NY 11101 (e-mail: vog.cyn.htlaeh@1retnevh). Reprints can be ordered athttp://www.ajph.org by clicking the “Reprints” link.

  

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