A Longitudinal Study of Mental Health Symptoms in Young Prisoners: Exploring the Influence Of Personal Factors & the Correctional Climate

BACKGROUND:

Despite the high prevalence rate of mental health problems among young prisoners, little is known about the longitudinal course and covariates of their mental health symptoms during incarceration, especially the influence of the correctional climate. The current study aimed: (1) to examine changes in young prisoners' mental health symptoms during incarceration, (2) to identify personal factors associated with their mental health symptoms and perceptions of the correctional climate, and (3) to test the incremental effect of perceptions of the correctional climate on mental health symptoms.

METHODS:

Data were obtained from a sample of 75 youths (aged 17 to 22 years) detained in a Portuguese young offender prison. Data were gathered 1, 3, and 6 months after their admission in this facility. Socio-demographic, clinical and criminological variables were collected. Mental health symptoms and perceptions of the correctional climate were assessed through self-report assessment tools. Linear and logistic (multi-level) regressions and tests for differences between means were performed to analyze the data.

RESULTS:

Overall, mental health symptoms marginally declined by the sixth month in prison. Prisoners with a history of mental health treatment were more likely to have increased symptoms. Higher levels of mental health symptoms were associated with a history of mental health treatment, remand status, and a lower educational level. Better perceptions of the correctional climate were associated with Black race and participation in prison activities. A negative perception of the correctional climate was the strongest covariate of young prisoners' mental health symptoms and had incremental validity over that of personal variables.

CONCLUSIONS:

The results highlight that both characteristics of the prisoners and of the prison environment influence young prisoners' mental health. Prison management can try to reduce young prisoners' mental health problems by developing scientific procedures for their mental health assessment and creating a more beneficial correctional climate.

Level and Changes in Mental Health Symptoms over Time in Prison

	Month 1 (n = 70)	Month 3 (n = 58)	Month 6 (n = 49)
BSI Subscale	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)	Mean difference/Contrast
Somatizationa	0.76 (0.82)	0.75 (0.74)	0.62 (0.70)	χ 2 = 6.70*
				M6 vs. M3*
Obsessive-compulsive	1.21 (0.70)	1.26 (0.81)	1.06 (0.78)	χ 2 = 6.97*
				M6 vs. M3*
Interpersonal sensitivitya	1.04 (0.83)	1.09 (0.77)	0.97 (0.86)	ns
Depression	1.28 (0.78)	1.26 (0.86)	1.12 (0.83)	ns
Anxietya	0.93 (0.79)	0.86 (0.72)	0.77 (0.71)	ns
Hostilitya	0.96 (0.69)	0.99 (0.89)	0.93 (0.74)	ns
Phobic anxietya	0.68 (0.67)	0.63 (0.67)	0.52 (0.65)	χ 2 = 5.88†
				M6 vs. M1†
Paranoid ideationa	1.25 (0.69)	1.34 (0.88)	1.31 (0.85)	ns
Psychoticisma	1.09 (0.78)	1.10 (0.77)	1.07 (0.89)	ns
GSIa	1.04 (0.63)	1.03 (0.65)	0.93 (0.65)	χ 2 = 5.87†
				M6 vs. M3†

Note. SD Standard deviation, M1 Month 1, M3 Month 3, M6 Month 6, ns not significant, BSI Brief Symptom Inventory, GSI Global Severity Index

a Distribution normalized through square root transformation. Descriptive statistics are based on the original data. Mean differences analyses are based on the transformed variables

† p < .10, * p < .05, two-tailed

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/FbBGHB

By:  Gonçalves LC1, Endrass J2,3, Rossegger A1,4, Dirkzwager AJ5.

• 1Department of Mental Health Services, Office of Corrections, Canton of Zurich, Hohlstrasse 552, P.O. Box 8090, Zurich, Switzerland.
• 2Department of Mental Health Services, Office of Corrections, Canton of Zurich, Hohlstrasse 552, P.O. Box 8090, Zurich, Switzerland. Jerome.Endrass@uni-konstanz.de.
• 3Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany. Jerome.Endrass@uni-konstanz.de.
• 4Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany.
• 5Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement, 71304, 1008 BH, Amsterdam, Netherlands. 
• BMC Psychiatry. 2016 Apr 6;16(1):91. doi: 10.1186/s12888-016-0803-z.

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Hostility and Substance Use in Relation to Intimate Partner Violence and Parenting among Fathers

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health and economic problem, which also increases the risks for child maltreatment. One attribute that may contribute to both IPV and poor parenting is hostility. Moreover, the link between hostility and these outcomes may be mediated by substance use, such that more hostile individuals are at greater risk for using drugs and alcohol, leading them to engage in more aggressive and rejecting behavior towards their partners and children. We tested this possibility in sample of 132 fathers. Additionally, we explored whether hostility and substance use had interactive effects on IPV and parenting by examining moderated-mediation models. 

The results show that substance use mediated the relationship between hostility and all IPV and parenting outcomes. Furthermore, this mediated relationship was moderated by substance use level for parenting outcomes, but not IPV. In the case of parenting, the mediated path from hostility to aggressive and rejecting parenting only occurred for those high in substance use. 

Limitations and implications for prevention and treatment of IPV and aggressive and rejecting parenting are discussed.

Below:  Hostility X substance use interactions predicting rejecting and aggressive parenting

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/hfR04I

By:  Carla Smith Stover, Ph.D. and Andrew Kiselica, B.A.

Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, University of South Florida (http://mhlp.fmhi.usf.edu/), 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL, 813-974-6019

Carla Smith Stover: ude.fsu@revotsalraC

Aggress Behav. : 10.1002/ab.21548.

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