Abstract

The ex-prisoner population is an under-researched, socially excluded group, whose broad health needs are seldom assessed and often unmet. Mental disorders affect one in four of us over a lifetime (WHO, (2011). They represent a huge cost to our health care systems and to the global economy, and affect some of the world’s most vulnerable people, through stigma and lack of understanding. Globally, studies on mental health problems have been generated and the greatest disease burden has been noted in low and middle income countries (Saxena, Thornicroft, Knapp, & Whiteford (2007)). Mental health services for the mentally ill prisoners remain in dire shortage in most parts of the world due to high prison populations coupled with the lack of adequate resources (Dissel, 2008). There are significant challenges in many countries to effectively manage the service needs of prisoners with a mental disorder, and Zimbabwe is no exception. Thirteen ex-offenders with a severe mental disorder who were discharged from Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison participated in the study. All participants were from Harare Metropolitan Province, discharged within a period of three to twelve months, were over eighteen (18) years of age, and provided informed consent. The research participants were interviewed using a qualitative interview schedule exploring the experiences and needs of ex-offenders living with a severe mental disorder, key drivers and barriers to community re-integration following discharge, and access to community mental health services. Results showed that, successful reintegration was challenging given the stigma and discrimination experienced as a result of committing a crime and having a mental health illness. The lack of community based mental health services providing recovery focused interventions was also highlighted as a challenge.