The following is a summary of “Worldwide incidence of suicides in prison: a systematic review with meta-regression analyses,” published in the May 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Mundt et al.

Among prisoners, suicide is one of the most prevalent causes of death. Researchers conducted a retrospective study to collect all evidence of prison suicide rates from around the globe. 

They searched scientific literature, data repositories, and prison reports, also contacting prison administrations. The study included the general prison population (2000 to 2021), excluding pre-selected groups (by age or offense type). The suicide rates were extracted per 100,000 person-years by sex and country, and IQR was used for regional differences. Incidence rate ratios were calculated, comparing suicides of people living in prison with age-standardized general populations. Meta-regression analyzed national and prison-level factors for heterogeneity.

The results showed 3 scientific studies, 124 official reports, and 11 datasets from emails. From 200-2021, a total of 29,711 suicides occurred in 91.2 million person-years across 82 jurisdictions worldwide, and data availability of 13,289. Most suicide rates ranged from 24-89 per 100,000 person-years (22-86 in males and 25-107 in females), with 94.4% (n=12,544) males and 5.6% (n=745) females. Europe, high-income countries, and low-incarceration rate countries had higher suicide rates when compared to their counterparts. In the comparison between incarcerated and the general population, males had incidence rate ratios of 1.9-6.0, and females had ratios of 10.4-32.4. 

Investigators concluded that prison services, especially in Europe, focused on suicide prevention, with particular attention to female inmates due to higher mortality rates compared to the general population. Interpretation of data required caution due to jurisdictional differences.

Source: thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(24)00134-2/fulltext