Prior Incarceration & Health Risks: A Later-Life Connection

Here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways from the provided text:

* Incarceration & Physical Health: Prior incarceration is strongly linked to poorer self-reported physical health – a roughly 90% higher chance of reporting “fair” or “poor” health. This effect persists even many years after release (over 10 years).
* Incarceration & Mental Health: The link between incarceration and poorer mental health is partially explained by factors like lower income and employment rates among formerly incarcerated individuals.
* Implications for Clinicians: Doctors should consider asking patients about their incarceration history and connecting them with relevant support services.
* Broader Context: Mass incarceration has been happening for decades, meaning a significant portion of the older adult population has experienced it, and its long-term health effects need to be understood.
* Source: The research was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.