The impact of primary mental health care in a prison system in Brazil. |
| |
| Authors: | J G Taborda J M Bertolote R G Cardoso P Blank |
| |
| Affiliation: | WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. taborda@conex.com.br |
| |
| Abstract: | OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of a psychiatric service in a prison general hospital that refers prisoners with mental disorders to a separate forensic psychiatric hospital (FPH). METHOD: Analysis of data on prison population and referrals to the FPH. RESULTS: Despite a 10.9% increase in the overall prison system population over 3 years, referrals from the prison general hospital with the new psychiatric service to the FPH were reduced by 36.5%, whereas referrals from other prisons increased by 120.4%. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate the efficiency of the new primary health care approach. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
