Nearly half of male prisoners and three-quarters of women inmates may be significantly in need of psychiatric treatment, the first study on the health of the prison population has shown.
The report, published last night, also shows a high prevalence of substance abuse which may contribute to anxiety, distress and depression.
The Research Policy Unit of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform commissioned the report, "General Health Care Study of the Irish Prisoner Population".
The study reports on mental health and quality of life and lifestyle risk factors. It found that 37 per cent of male prisoners and 64 per cent of female prisoners described themselves as moderately or extremely anxious or depressed on the day the survey was carried out.
The report states that the mental health of prisoners using a standard test showed that nearly half of the men and 75 per cent of the women may be significantly in need of psychiatric treatment.
The report says: "These figures are extremely high, highlighting the burden of mental ill-health in Irish prisons."
By comparison, a Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (SLAN) by NUI last year showed that only 11 per cent of males in the general population may be in need of psychiatric treatment.
The Department report states that there is also an abnormally high drug-use rate. In all, 72 per cent of males in prison and 83 per cent of females had taken drugs at some stage in their lives. From the profile of drug use, many were likely to use more than one drug habitually.
Smoking rates were very high in comparison with other disadvantaged groups and undoubtedly were a signal of social circumstances generally.
The report makes a number of recommendations, including the introduction of an adequately-funded comprehensive primary care health service which would be made available to prisoners with greater focus on assessment, screening and health promotion.
The director-general of the Irish Prisons Service, Mr Sean Aylward, said that since the survey prisoner/doctor relations had improved significantly and the introduction of dozens of qualified nurses in the prisons had had a very positive impact.