Three out of four women in Norwegian prisons have one or more mental health diagnoses, shows the study from the Center for Drug and Addiction Research (SERAF) at the University of Oslo. The number is much higher for female inmates than for male inmates. 75 per cent of women in Norwegian prisons have a mental diagnosis, compared to only 59 per cent of men. The study looked at a sample of 5,429 women, and linked the Norwegian prison register to the Norwegian patient register in the period 2010 to 2019. Depending on the follow-up Nurse and doctoral fellow at SERAF, Vegard Gjerden Svendsen, says that there has been a considerable increase in the proportion of female doctors inmates who bring mental disorders into prison in the last ten years. Vegard Gjerden Svendsen is one of the authors of the study. Photo: Kristine Næss Larsen / news Svendsen says that the number is sky-high and thinks it says something about the pressure of suffering and the need for treatment this group has. – Before 2019, more than half of the women who entered prison to serve time in Norway had an active mental disorder. What is the most important explanation for the increase? – The reason for this change is probably a combination. This does not come from a general increase in mental health problems, and mental disorders, in the general population, says Svendsen. – Others who have looked at this, and who know the field, have pointed to, for example, the downsizing of psychiatric services, he says. Svendsen says that the number of women entering prison with mental disorders has been consistent and stable over time, but that the number of new inmates in prison has decreased significantly. – The reason why the number of people entering prison has decreased is most likely because the use of alternative forms of punishment such as electronic control has become more common in the last ten years, he explains. May be a large number of unknowns. The study only captures those who have been in contact with the specialist health service. Therefore, the number may be underestimated, and it is most likely a large dark number, says Svendsen. The study also maps the various psychological diagnoses made by specialist health services. Addiction disorders linked to alcohol and drugs are the most common diagnoses, followed by, among other things, depression, anxiety disorders and personality disorders. Many have dual diagnoses, says Svendsen. These are patients who have both a substance abuse disorder and at least one other mental diagnosis. In psychiatry, these are considered some of the most challenging diagnostic complexes, with limited treatment options and poor prognoses. – Underpins much of what I meet in prison – There are more ladies who are struggling now. They are worse, says Katja Nielsen in the Wayback foundation. She herself has a seat in prison, and now works as a sponsor for female inmates in prisons around Oslo. Katja Nielsen herself has a seat in prison, now she is a sponsor for female inmates. Photo: Ayaan Aden / news – It can be quite intense. This winter was such a weekend. Someone started self-harming on the third floor, and there was a lot of banging and screaming. Nielsen tells about one of her visits to Bredtveit women’s prison. – It propagated down the wards, and I met a woman in one of the wards on the first floor who said it was just before she started doing it. She recognizes herself in what emerges in the study: – The study substantiates much of what I encounter in prison. Johan Lothe, day-to-day manager of Wayback, says that there are often professionals present in prison, but that in many cases there are enough of them. He fears that more people will become sicker in prison. Katja Nielsen and Johan Lothe in the Wayback foundation. Wayback is a non-profit foundation that works for the return of inmates to society. Photo: Ayaan Aden / news – Our hope is that there will be recovery in prison, and that there will be rehabilitation. Today, I think the vast majority of people get sicker from being in prison instead of getting healthier, says Lothe. Katja Nielsen says she hopes the study can lead to change: – I hope so, but there have been many reports before as well. – So I’m crossing my fingers that something happens now. Not surprised Heidi Bottolfs, department director in the Directorate of Correctional Services, says that she is not surprised by the study. – This is research that confirms the experiences that our employees have been reporting on for some time. So we are not very surprised. Heidi Bottolfs, department director in the Directorate of Correctional Services Photo: Martin Leigland / news – Why is there such a big difference between women and men? – We know there is a difference, but we don’t have a full picture when it comes to why. There could be several reasons for that, she says. Bottolfs says that they do not have an overview of whether there may be a higher threshold for the admission of female inmates, compared to male inmates. She also says that there is a greater proportion of women who engage in self-harm, and they are more likely to commit suicide than male inmates. – This is an area we have been working on for a while, and we will come up with new proposals not too long from now, she concludes.
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Sky-high incidence of mental health diagnoses among female inmates – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
