Increased Risk of Suicide Attempts and Unintended Death Among Those Transitioning from Prison to Community in Later Life

With minimum sentencing laws, more arrests in later age, and population aging, the number of incarcerated persons age ≥50 in the U.S. has increased exponentially1, 2. As most inmates are eventually released (from prisons or jails) to the community3, the number of middle- and older-aged individuals reentering the community after incarceration can also be expected to grow. Considering that persons age ≥50 years h ave the highest suicide rates4 and that deaths by drug overdose, specifically opioid-related deaths, increased 6-fold among those age 55-64 between 1999 and 20115, it may be especially important to characterize risk of suicide and drug overdose in those transitioning from prison to community in late r life.
Source: The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Tags: Regular Research Articles Source Type: research