Mental health and drug use in prison: understanding and responding to dual disorders

Date: 15 December 2026, 12:00–13:30 Lisbon time (WET) — 13:00–14:30 (CET).

This webinar will focus on the co-occurrence of mental health and substance use disorders among people in prison. It will also cover the broader mental health and well-being needs of people in prison, including those that may not be captured by a formal diagnosis.

It will consider common comorbidities alongside patterns of drug use and related harms, such as self-harm and suicide risk. It will also look at the misuse of benzodiazepines and how this may relate to unmet mental health needs and gaps in access to integrated treatment. Attention will be given to the diverse health and social needs of different prison populations, including women, migrants and young people, as well as relevant interventions. Drawing on practical experience from prison settings, the webinar will also explore key barriers to implementing evidence-based responses.

Background

Dual disorders are highly prevalent among people in prison who use drugs, with rates reaching up to 90% in some groups. Common comorbidities include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and ADHD. Detection and integrated care addressing both mental health and substance use are therefore essential, with benefits for individual health, public health and society.

In conversation with:

• Seena Fazel, Professor of Forensic Psychiatry and Director of the Centre for Suicide Research at the University of Oxford; Honorary Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist;
• Maria Shiali, Acting Director of the Prisons Department, Cyprus;
• Thomas Fovet, Associate Professor and Hospital Practitioner in Adult Psychiatry at the University of Lille and Lille University Hospital, and researcher at the Lille Neuroscience & Cognition Centre (INSERM U-1172).

Chairperson: Linda Montanari, Principal Scientist, EUDA.

Opening remarks: Thomas Clausen, Chief Scientist, EUDA.

Coordination: Marica Ferri, Anna Ferrara, Ines Hasselberg, Marco Costa (EUDA).