MENTAL HEALTH
Overcrowded jails cause severe stress
Disorders rife, inmates suicidalAphaluck Bhatiasevi
An increasing number of prison inmates are suffering from severe stress caused by overcrowded cells.
Apichai Mongkhol, deputy director-general of the Mental Health Department, said a survey two years ago showed that 63% of inmates suffered mental health problems and very few were given treatment.
The rapid increase in the number of prisoners since the year 2000 had worsened the problem of overcrowded cells, the main cause of stress.
The survey, at Bang Khwang and Krungthep prisons, showed that 11.4% of prisoners showed signs of being suicidal, while 14.7% had anti-social personality disorders.
The survey results were released at a workshop yesterday to train more than 300 prison warders in how to deal with mental health problems.
Duangta Graipaspong, a psychiatrist at Galya Rajanagarindra Institute, said a lack of staff, limited budget and lack of interest in mental illness were big problems. ``Many prisoners are chained up unnecessarily because warders don't know how to deal with prisoners who become aggressive.''
While the desire to commit suicide was higher among women prisoners (20.1%) than men (12.4%), anti-social behaviour was a bigger problem among men (14.2%) than women (5.7%).
Another big cause of severe mental health problems was amphetamine addiction (26.2%), amphetamine use (19.1 %), alcohol consumption (16.9%) and alcohol addiction (12.2%).
Minor psychiatric disorders were anxiety, hypomania, panic disorder, dysthymia, post-traumatic stress disorder, agoraphobia and social phobia.
Dr Apichai said the Corrections Department of the Justice Ministry and the Mental Health Department of the Public Health Ministry should work together to tackle mental health problems among inmates and warders.
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