Mild Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults in Scotland's Prisons.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Getting older in prison: Prevalence, impact and disability of Mild Cognitive Impairment
IRAS ID
353388
Contact name
Alexander Fradera
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Glasgow
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
Older people are the fastest growing age group in the prison population (Ridley, 2022). In Scottish prisons, the proportion aged over 50 has doubled over the last 10 years (Scottish Government, 2023). The increases may be due to ageing of the sentenced population and longer sentences including in older adults convicted of historic sexual offences.
The age of 50 has been adopted by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)for being classed as an ‘older person’ in prison due to the poorer health outcomes, complex health and social care needs (Prison Reform Trust, 2022; Turner et al., 2018), which require a strategy to address these (House of Commons, July, 2020).
Recent studies in the USA have investigated the prevalence of cognitive impairment in older prisoners. Researchers used the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to assess for cognitive impairment (Ahalt et al., 2018; Baillargeon et al., 2023; Perez et al., 2021), finding the prevalence to be between 35% to 78% of the older prison population.
This study aims to explore the prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and the risk factors associated with this, while exploring whether functional needs are being adequately met, in older prisoners in Scotland.
We aim to recruit a total of 93 adult male participants within the two Scottish prisons. Participants will undergo a single interview lasting up to one hour; during this interview they will be asked to complete questionnaires of background information, a neuropsychological assessment and self-report measures of substance use, trauma, mood, head injury, ADLs and functional needs in male prisoners in HMPs Low Moss and Shotts.
We wish to explore the prevalence of MCI and the risk factors associated. We are keen to understand functional needs which are relevant to MCI.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
25/WS/0143
Date of REC Opinion
18 Sep 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion