Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Email this article to a Colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Articles & Searches Download to citation manager Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Articles by Steadman, H. J. Articles by Robbins, P. C. Search for Related Content PubMed Citation Articles by Steadman, H. J. Articles by Robbins, P. C. Mentally Ill Offenders Other Forensic Issues Needs Assessment Related Article

Validation of the Brief Jail Mental Health Screen

OBJECTIVE: Jails have a substantial legal obligation to provide health and mental health care for inmates; yet screening procedures across American jails are highly variable. Currently, no valid, practical, standardized tool is available. The study reported here sought to validate a revision of the Referral Decision Scale (RDS)—the Brief Jail Mental Health Screen (BJMHS)—which provides an even briefer and more practical tool for use in jails. METHODS: Valid BJMHS data were collected in four jails (two in Maryland and two in New York) from 10,330 detainees. A total of 357 detainees were also administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) for standardized clinical cross-validation: 125 detainees (74 men and 51 women) who were classified as referrals for further mental health assessment on the basis of BJMHS and 232 detainees (137 men and 95 women) who were not classified as referrals. RESULTS: The BJMHS takes an average of 2.5 minutes to administer. It correctly classified 73.5 percent of males but only 61.6 percent of females on the basis of SCID diagnoses. Overall, the BJMHS identified 11.3 percent of screened detainees for further mental health assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The BJMHS is a practical, efficient tool that jail correction officers can give male detainees on intake screening. However, the screen has an unacceptably high false-negative rate for female detainees.

Related Article:

July 2005: This Month's Highlights
Psychiatr Serv 2005 56: 785. [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Pimlott Kubiak, M. L. Beeble, and D. Bybee Testing the Validity of the K6 in Detecting Major Depression and PTSD Among Jailed Women Criminal Justice and Behavior, January 1, 2010; 37(1): 64 - 80. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H. J. Steadman, F. C. Osher, P. C. Robbins, B. Case, and S. Samuels Prevalence of Serious Mental Illness Among Jail Inmates Psychiatr Serv, June 1, 2009; 60(6): 761 - 765. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. D. Ford, R. L. Trestman, V. H. Wiesbrock, and W. Zhang Validation of a Brief Screening Instrument for Identifying Psychiatric Disorders Among Newly Incarcerated Adults Psychiatr Serv, June 1, 2009; 60(6): 842 - 846. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Ruiz, R. H. Peters, G. M. Sanchez, and J. P. Bates Psychometric Properties of the Mental Health Screening Form Iii Within a Metropolitan Jail Criminal Justice and Behavior, June 1, 2009; 36(6): 607 - 619. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H. J. Steadman, P. C. Robbins, T. Islam, and F. C. Osher Revalidating the Brief Jail Mental Health Screen to Increase Accuracy for Women Psychiatr Serv, December 1, 2007; 58(12): 1598 - 1601. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. L. Trestman, J. Ford, W. Zhang, and V. Wiesbrock Current and Lifetime Psychiatric Illness Among Inmates Not Identified as Acutely Mentally Ill at Intake in Connecticut's Jails J Am Acad Psychiatry Law, December 1, 2007; 35(4): 490 - 500. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. D. Ford, R. L. Trestman, V. Wiesbrock, and Wanli Zhang Development and Validation of a Brief Mental Health Screening Instrument for Newly Incarcerated Adults Assessment, September 1, 2007; 14(3): 279 - 299. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. Sacks, G. Melnick, C. Coen, S. Banks, P. D. Friedmann, C. Grella, K. Knight, and C. Zlotnick CJDATS Co-Occurring Disorders Screening Instrument for Mental Disorders: A Validation Study Criminal Justice and Behavior, September 1, 2007; 34(9): 1198 - 1215. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. Sacks, G. Melnick, C. Coen, S. Banks, P. D. Friedmann, C. Grella, and K. Knight CJDATS Co-Occurring Disorders Screening Instrument for Mental Disorders (CODSI-MD): A Pilot Study The Prison Journal, March 1, 2007; 87(1): 86 - 110. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. E. Dillon Sample for Validation of Jail Mental Health Screen Psychiatr Serv, October 1, 2005; 56(10): 1315 - 1316. [Full Text] [PDF]

Get information about faster international access.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2005 American Psychiatric Association. All rights reserved.

Home | Search | Current Issue | Past Issues | Subscribe | All APPI Journals | Help | Contact Us