Older incarcerated persons’ mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
International Journal of Prisoner Health
ISSN: 1744-9200
Article publication date: 3 December 2021
Issue publication date: 2 June 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Older incarcerated persons are an especially vulnerable segment of the prison population, with high rates of multimorbidity. This study aims to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older incarcerated persons’ mental and physical health.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants were 157 currently-incarcerated persons age ≥50 years who were enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study before the pandemic. Anxiety symptoms (seven-item generalized anxiety disorder questionnaire), depressive symptoms (eight-item patient health questionnaire) and self-rated health (SRH) were assessed during in-person interviews completed before the pandemic and via mailed surveys during the pandemic (August–September 2020). A mediation model evaluated the relationship among anxiety, depression and SRH.
Findings
Participants were 96% male, racially diverse (41% White, 41% Black, 18% Hispanic/Other), with average age 56.0(±5.8) years. From before to during the pandemic, anxiety symptoms increased (worsened) (from 6.4 ± 5.7 to 7.8 ± 6.6; p < 0.001), depressive symptoms increased (worsened) (from 5.5 ± 6.0 to 8.1 ± 6.5; p < 0.001) and SRH decreased (worsened) (from 3.0 ± 0.2 to 2.6 ± 0.2; p < 0.001). The total effect of worsening anxiety symptoms on worsening SRH (−0.043; p < 0.001) occurs entirely because of worsening depressive symptoms, i.e. the direct effect was statistically non-significant −0.030 (p = 0.068).
Practical implications
Older incarcerated persons experienced worsening mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic which was associated with worsening SRH. These findings have implications for health-care costs and services needed to care for this vulnerable group.
Originality/value
This is the first study to evaluate change in older incarcerated persons’ mental health from before the COVID-19 pandemic to during the pandemic.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health at the National Institute of Health (Grant Number R01-MH106529 to L.C.B.). Dr Barry is also supported by the UConn Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (NIA P30-AG067988). The authors thank Danielle Zaugg, LCSW for assistance with recruitment, data collection and data entry; and the Connecticut Department of Correction. This work reflects the opinion of the authors and does not reflect the views of the Connecticut Department of Correction.Declaration of conflicting interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Citation
DePalma, A., Noujaim, D., Coman, E., Wakefield, D. and Barry, L.C. (2022), "Older incarcerated persons’ mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 138-148. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-08-2021-0077
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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