Health
- 72% of male and 70% of female sentenced prisoners suffer from two or more mental disorders. This compares with 5% of men and 2% of women in the general population. (1)
- 62% of prisoners screen positive for personality disorder (2)
- 46% sentenced adult males 18-49 report long-term illness or disability (3)
- 39% of London's rough sleepers are estimated to have a mental health problem (4)
Health plays a key role in the lives of people with multiple needs. A lack of access to appropriate healthcare often perpetuates a cycle of crisis and crime, while effective health interventions can be crucial in enabling people to break free of this cycle.
However, negative experiences of engagement with health services are common. Stigma, discrimination and a lack of understanding of multiple needs can lead to patients feeling disempowered and health needs remaining unaddressed. Poor engagement with mainstream health services can result in people using expensive emergency services when they have an urgent health need.
Although the Mental Health Strategy No Health without Mental Health calls for equity of access to mental health services "for all groups, including the most disadvantaged and excluded” (2011, p.21), the mental health needs of those with multiple problems are often not met by statutory services. Despite having multiple and complex problems (of which mental health is often a core and exacerbating factor) they frequently fall below acess thresholds for secondary mental health services, or are excluded due to drug or alcohol problems.
Revolving Doors calls for:
- The impact of multiple needs on health and access to health services to be a core consideration across the National Health Service
- Health and Wellbeing Boards to play a key role in ensuring the integration of services for people with multiple needs, with criminal justice agencies represented on their membership
- Improved training for healthcare professionals to develop a better understanding of multiple needs
- Local HealthWatch organisations to have a plan for how to engage socially excluded groups, including people with drug and/or alcohol problems, mental health problems, homeless people, and offenders
Relevant Revolving Doors publications
- Submission by Revolving Doors to the NHS modernisation listening exercise (May 2011)
- Submission by All Party Parliamentary Group on Complex Needs & Dual Diagnosis to the NHS modernisation listening exercise (May 2011)
- Response to Liberating the NHS: Greater choice and control consultation (January 2011)
- Response to Liberating the NHS consultation (October 2010)
- Response to New Horizons mental health strategy consultation (October 2009)
- Response to Social Exclusion Task Force call for evidence on primary health care and socially excluded groups (July 2009)
- Response to St Mungo's call for evidence on mental health and street homelessness (June 2009)
- Response to Improving Health, Supporting Justice (March 2008)
(1) Social Exclusion Unit (2002) Reducing reoffending by ex-prisoners, London: Social Exclusion Unit
(2) Stewart, D, The problems and needs of newly sentenced prisoners: results from a national survey, Ministry of Justice Research Series 16/08 (MOJ, 2008)
(3) Social Exclusion Unit (2002) Reducing reoffending by ex-prisoners, London: Social Exclusion Unit
(4) The Vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide (Department of Communities and Local Government, 2011)
