Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume 44, Issue 5 , Pages 409-414 , September 2003

Characteristics of inmates receiving prescribed benzodiazepines in a high-security greek prison

  • Nicoletta P Lekka

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests to Nicoletta P. Lekka, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Patras, 265 00 Rion, Patras, Greece
    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
  • ,
  • Christos Paschalis

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
  • ,
  • Antonios Papadourakis

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
  • ,
  • Stavroula Beratis

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece

References 

  1. Brown CR. The use of benzodiazepines in prison populations. J Clin Psychiatry. 1978;39:219–222
  2. Daderman AM, Lidberg L. Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) abuse in combination with alcohol causes premeditated, grievous violence in male juvenile offenders. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 1999;27:83–99
  3. Daderman AM, Edman G. Flunitrazepam abuse and personality characteristics in male forensic psychiatric patients. Psychiatry Res. 2001;103:27–42
  4. Makkai T. Patterns of recent drug use among a sample of Australian detainees. Addiction. 2001;96:1799–1808
  5. Jeanmonod R, Harding T, Staub C. Treatment of opiate withdrawal on entry to prison. Br J Addict. 1991;86:457–463
  6. Frazier AD, Zamecnik J, Keravel J, McGrath L, Wells J. Experience with urine drug testing by the correctional service of Canada. Forensic Sci Int. 2001;121:16–22
  7. British National Formulary Drugs Acting on the Central Nervous System. No. 18. London, UK: Pharmaceutical Press; 1989;
  8. Kaplan HI, Sadock BJ. Synopsis of Psychiatry. Behavioral Sciences/Clinical Psychiatry. Ed. 8. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins; 1998;
  9. Hamilton M. The assessment of anxiety states by rating. Br J Med Psychol. 1959;32:50–55
  10. Zung WWK. A self-rating scale for depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1965;12:63–70
  11. SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences, Version 8.0 for Windows (computer program). Chicago, IL: SPSS Inc; 1997;
  12. Howes JB, Ryan J, Fairbrother G, O’Neil K, Howes LG. Benzodiazepine prescribing in a Sydney teaching hospital. Med J Aust. 1996;165:299–300
  13. Svedin CG, Wadsby M. The presence of psychiatric consultations in relation to divorce. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1998;98:414–422
  14. Kisely S, Linden M, Bellantuono C, Simon G, Jones J. Why are patients prescribed psychotropic drugs by general practitioners? Results of an international study. Psychol Med. 2000;30:1217–1225
  15. Magrini N, Vaccheri A, Parma E, D’Alessandro R, Bottoni A, Occhionero M, et al.  Use of benzodiazepines in the Italian general population (prevalence, pattern of use and risk factors for use). Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1996;50:19–25
  16. Tyson GA. Stress and detention. S Afr Med J. 1983;64:858–859
  17. Ross J, Darke S. The nature of benzodiazepine dependence among heroin users in Sydney, Australia. Addiction. 2000;95:1785–1793
  18. Segura M, Barbosa J, Torrens M, Farre M, Castillo C, Segura J. Analytical methodology for the detection of benzodiazepine consumption in opioid-dependent subjects. J Anal Toxicol. 2001;25:130–136
  19. Oliver P, Keen J, Rowse G, Mathers N. Deaths from drugs of abuse in Sheffield, 1998 (the role of prescribed medication). Br J Gen Pract. 2001;51:394–396
  20. Fazel S, Danesh J. Serious mental disorder in 23000 prisoners (a systematic review of 62 surveys). Lancet. 2002;359:545–550
  21. Koenig HG, Johnson S, Bellard J, Denker M, Fenlon R. Depression and anxiety disorder among older male inmates at a federal correctional facility. Psychiatr Serv. 1995;46:399–401
  22. Lekka NP, Paschalis C, Beratis S. Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol use in high and low dose benzodiazepine users. Drug Alcohol Depend. 1997;45:207–212
  23. Naja WJ, Pelissolo A, Haddad RS, Baddoura R, Baddoura C. A general population survey on patterns of benzodiazepine use and dependence in Lebanon. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2000;102:429–431
  24. Desai HD, Seabolt J, Jann MW. Smoking in patients receiving psychotropic medications (a pharmacokinetic perspective). CNS Drugs. 2001;15:469–494
  25. Zevin S, Benowitz NL. Drug interactions with tobacco smoking. An update. Clin Pharmacokinet. 1999;36:425–438
  26. Reindollar RW. Hepatitis C and the correctional population. Am J Med. 1999;107(2 Suppl):100S–103S
  27. Malliori M, Sypsa V, Psichogiou M, Touloumi G, Skoutelis A, Tassopoulos N. A survey of bloodborne viruses and associated risk behaviours in Greek prisons. Addiction. 1998;93:243–251
  28. Bleich A, Gelkopf M, Schmidt V, Hayward R, Bodner G, Adelson M. Correlates of benzodiazepine abuse in methadone maintenance treatment. A 1 year prospective study in an Israeli clinic. Addiction. 1999;94:1533–1540
  29. Abraham HD, Degli-Esposti S, Marino L. Seroprevalence of hepatitis C in a sample of middle class substance abusers. J Addict Dis. 1999;18:77–87
  30. Scarnati RA. Critical issues for consideration in prescribing benzodiazepines. Osteopath Ann. 1985;13:19–23
  31. Fava M. Psychopharmacologic treatment of pathologic aggression. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1997;20:427–451
  32. Roberts LJ, Roberts CF, Leonard KE. Alcohol, drugs and interpersonal violence. In:  VanHasselt VB,  Hersen M editor. Handbook of Psychological Approaches With Violent Offenders (Contemporary Strategies and Issuesm). Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic; 1999;p. 439–519

PII: S0010-440X(03)00112-3

doi: 10.1016/S0010-440X(03)00112-3

Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume 44, Issue 5 , Pages 409-414 , September 2003