Suicide Risk Screening and Assessment before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic in New Inmates.

(1) Background: Suicide is the main cause of death in Italian prisons. The largest number of inmates who killed themselves was recorded during three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore psychosocial risk factors for suicide among inmates incarcerated before and after the onset of COVID-19. (2) Methods: At prison reception, inmates underwent clinical interviews and were assessed using the Blaauw Scale and Suicide Assessment Scale. Psychological distress, measured by the Symptom Checklist-90-R, was compared between inmates admitted before and after COVID-19. Regression analyses were run to examine psychosocial vulnerabilities associated with suicidal intent in newly incarcerated individuals at risk of suicide. (3) Results: Among the 2098 newly admitted inmates (93.7% male) aged 18 to 87 years (M = 39.93; SD = 12.04), 1347 met the criteria for suicide risk, and 98 exhibited high suicidal intent. Inmates who entered prison after the onset of COVID-19 were older and had fewer social relationships. They had a higher prevalence of recidivism and substance abuse, along with elevated levels of psychological distress. An increase in perceived loss of control, anergia, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, phobic anxiety, and paranoid ideation emerged as the factors most strongly associated with high suicidal intent. (4) Conclusions: These findings support the value of psychosocial screening in promptly identifying inmates at risk of suicide, enabling the implementation of targeted, multi-professional interventions. Future research should replicate these results, with a focus on longitudinal studies that monitor the same inmates throughout their incarceration period.

Cognitive correlates of borderline intellectual functioning in borderline personality disorder.

Borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) is highly prevalent in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), but their relationship remains poorly understood. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the cognitive profile of BIF among people diagnosed with BPD. Clinical, demographic, and neuropsychological data of fifty-five outpatients with BPD were analyzed. The sample split into two groups: BPD with BIF (BIF+: n = 25; intelligence quotient - IQ - range: 71-84) and BPD without BIF (BIF-: n = 30; IQ range: 86-124). Between-group comparisons employed either parametric and non-parametric descriptive statistics, as necessary. Neuropsychological measures (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised - WAIS-R IQ, factor index, subtest scores) and cognitive performance deficits in the two groups were likewise compared aside, followed by Spearman's correlation test conducted on relevant metrics. The cognitive, but not the clinical and demographic profiles differed significantly between the two groups. BIF+ was associated with a specific pattern of verbal, attentive, and planning dysfunctions. The verbal comprehension index had the highest discriminative value for the presence of BIF in patients with BPD, and it was tightly associated with adaptive and social functioning. The neuropsychological assessment of BPD may be relevant to plan targeted interventions based on measures of cognitive functioning which could also serve to evaluate treatment efficacy and outcomes. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.