Clinical outcomes in a prison telepsychiatry clinic

The effectiveness of a prison telepsychiatry service was evaluated from a u ser perspective. Forty-five inmates (41 male, 4 female) completed the Sympt om Rating Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) on three occasions, once before t he teleconsultation and twice during treatment. The psychiatrist completed the Clinical Global Impression Scale-Severity Index (CGI) after each teleco nsultation. Forty-nine per cent of inmates were aged under 30 years, 24% we re aged between 30 and 39 years, while 27% were aged over 40 years. The inm ates' mean SCL-90-R scores decreased over time, indicating less psychiatric distress. The psychiatrist reported patient improvement over time as asses sed by the CGI. Telepsychiatry is an effective means of delivering mental h ealth services to the prison population.