Abstract
A large proportion of the world's incarcerated population is concentrated in the Americas. Research has consistently shown that mental health disorders are more prevalent among incarcerated individuals compared to the general population. Despite this, mental health necessities in prisons are often neglected, and in the Americas, the treatment gap for mental disorders remains substantial. This study aimed to conduct a scoping review of the scientific literature on the prevalence of mental health problems among incarcerated populations in American countries, from a global mental health perspective. The search included databases such as SciELO, Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, and CINAHL (EBSCO) and covered publications from 2013 to 2023 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. The final sample comprised 42 articles, of which South American countries were the most studied, followed by North American countries, while Central America had the least representation. The focus of the studies were as follows: the prevalence of mental health problems among incarcerated populations in the Americas; the links between mental disorders, aggressive behavior, and criminal recidivism; mortality among incarcerated individuals; and stigma as a barrier to accessing mental health services. According to the outcomes, investing in mental health services is essential to provide adequate care to prisoners, which could help reduce incarceration rates. However, overcrowding in prisons across the continent poses a significant barrier to the provision of mental health treatments.