Frequency of mental and addictive disorders among 320 men and women entering the Iowa prison system: use of the MINI-Plus

The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus (MINI-Plus) was used to assess the frequency of mental and addictive disorders among 320 randomly selected men and women newly committed to the general population of the Iowa prison system. More than 90 percent of offenders met criteria for a current or lifetime psychiatric disorder. The most frequent were substance use disorders (90%), mood disorders (54%), psychotic disorders (35%), antisocial personality disorder (35%), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (22%). Offenders had a mean of 4.2 MINI-Plus disorders, and two-thirds had 3 or more disorders. Contrary to expectation, there were few gender-based differences. Thirty percent of the offenders were rated at risk for suicide. We conclude that mental and addictive disorders are common among incarcerated offenders and that these individuals are at risk for suicidal behavior.