Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania scoured through numerous databases and found that incarceration is associated with negative mental health risks among Black men.
As shown in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, 23 articles were included in the study of men incarcerated between January 2010 and October 2021.
A higher association was found between incarceration history and poor mental health.
“Quantitative findings demonstrated significant associations between incarceration history and poor mental health, including higher levels of psychological distress, increased severity of depressive and PTSD symptoms, and delayed mental health treatment,” the authors explained in their study.
“Discrimination, negative police encounters, solitary confinement and difficulty finding employment were associated with the relationship between incarceration and mental health outcomes.”
Future research should focus on how Black men seek and use mental health services upon incarceration, the authors suggested.
