UC, Cincinnati Children’s studying link between incarceration, health

The University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s joined forces to help victims of violence. Now, they are looking to expand the effort by looking into links between family incarceration and children’s health.“Prison deteriorates a person,” said Guy Banks. “It manifests itself in many ways.”No one knows that more than Banks, who served an 11-year sentence inside an Ohio prison.“From what was done to me, it didn’t just affect me directly, it ended up affecting multiple people indirectly,” Banks said. “So, my trauma wasn’t healed, and it was transferred.”Incarceration doesn’t just affect the person inside but has a ripple effect on the people outside.“Mass incarceration is driving a lot of the social determinants of health,” said Dr. Samantha Boch, an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing. “I think we miss that in the health care community.”Dr. Boch and a team of researchers from UC looked at 11 years’ worth of electronic health records from Cincinnati Children’s, searching for patients that spent time in the juvenile system.“What we did was search for justice keywords in the clinician notes, because some families are disclosing and then some providers are documenting,” Boch said.Dr. Boch discovered children with a family history of incarceration are more likely to be diagnosed with physical and mental health conditions than other kids.“The stigma, shame and trauma from our correctional system is large and that can manifest in health conditions,” Dr. Boch said.Dr. Boch found that children who have been touched by incarceration in some way – their family member or themselves –make up like 2.2% of the youth that Dr. Boch studied. Yet they account for a disproportionate number of physical and health diagnoses at Children’s during the decade period reviewed. These children accounted for 43% of all cases of schizophrenia along with 38% of all suicides and 42% of bipolar or related disorders.The goal of this research is simple.“I want to better support families affected by incarceration and kids who have been involved in the juvenile justice system,” Boch said.UC was awarded a grant to expand its adult hospital violence intervention program. Boch hopes this research will help victims of violence and those who pull the trigger, who she says are often marginalized and forgotten.

CINCINNATI —

The University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s joined forces to help victims of violence.

Now, they are looking to expand the effort by looking into links between family incarceration and children’s health.

“Prison deteriorates a person,” said Guy Banks. “It manifests itself in many ways.”

No one knows that more than Banks, who served an 11-year sentence inside an Ohio prison.

“From what was done to me, it didn’t just affect me directly, it ended up affecting multiple people indirectly,” Banks said. “So, my trauma wasn’t healed, and it was transferred.”

Incarceration doesn’t just affect the person inside but has a ripple effect on the people outside.“Mass incarceration is driving a lot of the social determinants of health,” said Dr. Samantha Boch, an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing. “I think we miss that in the health care community.”

Dr. Boch and a team of researchers from UC looked at 11 years’ worth of electronic health records from Cincinnati Children’s, searching for patients that spent time in the juvenile system.

“What we did was search for justice keywords in the clinician notes, because some families are disclosing and then some providers are documenting,” Boch said.

Dr. Boch discovered children with a family history of incarceration are more likely to be diagnosed with physical and mental health conditions than other kids.

“The stigma, shame and trauma from our correctional system is large and that can manifest in health conditions,” Dr. Boch said.

Dr. Boch found that children who have been touched by incarceration in some way – their family member or themselves –make up like 2.2% of the youth that Dr. Boch studied. Yet they account for a disproportionate number of physical and health diagnoses at Children’s during the decade period reviewed. These children accounted for 43% of all cases of schizophrenia along with 38% of all suicides and 42% of bipolar or related disorders.

The goal of this research is simple.

“I want to better support families affected by incarceration and kids who have been involved in the juvenile justice system,” Boch said.

UC was awarded a grant to expand its adult hospital violence intervention program.

Boch hopes this research will help victims of violence and those who pull the trigger, who she says are often marginalized and forgotten.

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