The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) - Service correctionnel du Canada

Table 14
Results of CoMHISS by Reception Centre: T-scores Based on Non Patient Norms
Reception Centre T-score > 65
Global
Severity Index
of BSI
Additional Analyses
BSI scores relative to time of assessment. The rates of offenders scoring at or above
T-score 65 on the BSI are high relative to a general, non-patient population, but as reported
in the BSI manual, the rates are not out of line with rates reported for populations under
situational stress. For example, the BSI manual reports that the percentage of a sample of
patients waiting for orthopaedic consultation that were identified as “psychiatrically positive”
(T of 63 or above on the GSI or T-scores of 63 on two or more dimensions) was 80%
(Derogatis, 1993). The early period of incarceration in a federal penitentiary could
reasonably be considered as a time of considerable stress and adjustment. The pilot of
CoMHISS created conditions allowing for the examination of the change in mean scores on
the CoMHISS over the 90 day time period during which offenders are in the Reception unit.
Although some offenders had been admitted to penitentiary several weeks prior to the
CoMHISS administration, as illustrated in Figure 1, most (75%) of the respondents
participated in the assessment within the first three weeks of intake.
29
T-Score > 65
Depression
scale of the
DHS
N % (n) % (n)
Prairie Reception Centres (combined) 243 33.3 (81) 16.9 (42)
Ontario Reception (Millhaven) 218 33.5 (74) 23.6 (48)
Pacific Reception (RRAC) 395 38.5 (152) 25.5 (86)
Centre de Réception du Québec 187 38.5 (72) 20.6 (7)
Atlantic Reception (Springhill) 151 52.3 (79) 38.5 (48)