Psychological Distress Among Older Prisoners: A Literature Review

Abstract

Older people constitute the fastest growing age group among many prisoner populations worldwide, yet little is known about the mental wellbeing of this population. This article reviews research examining the level of psychological distress experienced by older prisoners, as well as the factors associated with this phenomenon. Findings suggest that older prisoners likely experience levels of psychological distress which are similar to that of younger prisoners and greater than that of older people in the general community. Personal, demographic, prison, and social factors associated with psychological distress are also identified from the literature and implications for future research are discussed.