Psychological Distress in Solitary Confinement: Symptoms, Severity, and Prevalence in the United States, 2017-2018

Authors

Keramet Reiter, University of California, Irvine
Joseph Ventura, University of California, Los Angeles
David Lovell, University of Washington
Dallas Augustine, University of California, Irvine
Melissa Barragan, University of California, Irvine
Thomas Blair, Southern California Permanente Medical Group
Kelsie Chesnut, University of California, Irvine
Pasha Dashtgard, University of California, Irvine
Gabriela Gonzalez, University of California, Irvine
Natalie Pifer, University of Rhode IslandFollow
Justin Strong, University of California, Irvine

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

1-1-2020

Abstract

Objectives. To specify symptoms and measure prevalence of psychological distress among incarcerated people in long-term solitary confinement. Methods. We gathered data via semistructured, in-depth interviews; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) assessments; and systematic reviews of medical and disciplinary files for 106 randomly selected people in solitary confinement in the Washington State Department of Corrections in 2017. We performed 1-year follow-up interviews and BPRS assessments with 80 of these incarcerated people, and we present the results of our qualitative content analysis and descriptive statistics. Results. BPRS results showed clinically significant symptoms of depression, anxiety, or guilt among half of our research sample. Administrative data showed disproportionately high rates of serious mental illness and self-harming behavior compared with general prison populations. Interview content analysis revealed additional symptoms, including social isolation, loss of identity, and sensory hypersensitivity. Conclusions. Our coordinated study of rating scale, interview, and administrative data illustrates the public health crisis of solitary confinement. Because 95% or more of all incarcerated people, including those who experienced solitary confinement, are eventually released, understanding disproportionate psychopathology matters for developing prevention policies and addressing the unique needs of people who have experienced solitary confinement, an extreme element of mass incarceration. (Am J Public Health. 2020;110:S56-S62. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2019.305375).

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Reiter, Keramet, Joseph Ventura, David Lovell, Dallas Augustine, Melissa Barragan, Thomas Blair, Kelsie Chesnut, Pasha Dashtgard, Gabriela Gonzalez, Natalie Pifer, and Justin Strong. "Psychological Distress in Solitary Confinement: Symptoms, Severity, and Prevalence in the United States, 2017-2018." (2020). doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2019.305375.