ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate emotion regulation, dispositional mindfulness and length of stay as factors in somatic symptoms among prison inmates, cross-sectional design was used. Participants were two hundred and nine (209) prison inmates. Their ages ranged between 18 – 62 years, with mean age of 30.9 and standard deviation of 8.68.
Three instruments were used for data collection: Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Mindfulness Awareness Attention Scale and Somatization subscale of Symptom Distress Check List (SCL-90). Hierarchical multiple regression was the main statistic used for data analysis.
The results of the regression analysis showed that of the two subscales of emotion regulation only cognitive reappraisal was a positive significant predictor of somatic complaints (β = .19, t = 2.80, p < .01) explaining 4% of the entire variance in somatic complaints and expressive suppression was not a significant predictor of somatic complaints (β = .12, t = 1.56).
Dispositional mindfulness was a negative significant predictor of somatic complaints (β = -.32, t = -4.98, p < .001), accounting for 10% of the variance in somatic complaints (R2 ∆ = .10). Length of stay in prison did not significantly predict somatic complaints among prison inmates (β = .09) (R2 ∆ = .01).
INTRODUCTION
The main of establishing the prison in all parts of the world, including Nigeria, is to provide a rehabilitation and correctional for those who have violated the rules and of their society (Obioha, 2011).
However, psychiatric disorders are highly prevalent among prisoners (Coid, 1984). Mental illness in has called for attention of the World Health Organization (WHO) (Eric, Hjalmar & Van-marle, 2007).
Many people with mental disorders may be arrested and imprisoned, causing mental problems to be imported from the outside world into the prisons. In other cases, people without mental disorders developed mental problems during their imprisonment due to the deprivation they encountered in the prisons.
Certain types of deprivation are inevitable in prisons. For instance, prisoners are deprived of their liberty for a period, deprivation of choices, and they can no longer freely decide where to live, with whom to associate and must submit to discipline imposed by others.
Communication with families and friends is limited and often without privacy, prisoners may have feelings of guilt and isolation. Other factors that adversely affect mental health of prisoners include poor nutrition,
inadequate health care, availability of illicit drugs and either enforced solitude or lack of privacy and time for quiet relaxation and reflection (WHO, 1999). A variety of significant report has been presented on growing rate of mental health problems among inmates (Terekegn, 2013).
Diverse sources of diagnostic estimate on persons with mental illness in prisons have been indicated in most countries. For example, America (10- 15%), (Oxelson, 2009), Great Britain (over 90%), (Birmingham, 2003), Spain (84.4%),
(Vicence, 2011), South Africa (70%), (Lennonx, Senior, King, Hassan, Claytona, Thornicroft & 2 Shawa, 2012), and Nigeria (57% to 60%), (Aishatu, Ayodele, Moses & Tolulope, 2013; Armiya’u & Adole, 2015).
REFERENCES
Aishatu, Y. A. U., Ayodele, O., Moses, D. A., & Tolulope, O. A. (2013).Prevalence of
psychiatric morbidity among inmates in Jos maximum security prison. Open Journal of
Psychiatry, 3, 12-17.
Akinnawo, E. O. (1993). Prevalence of psychological symptoms in a Nigeria prison.
Psychopathologies de African XXVI, 93-104.
Alexander, C. N., Langer, E. J., & Newman, R. I. (1989). Transcendental meditation,
mindfulness and longevity: An experimental study with the elderly. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 950–964.
Alexander, S. (2012). In memory of Sigmund Freud. New York: The Modernism Lab, Yale
University.
Allen, L., Escobar, J., Lehrer, M., Gara, M., &Woolfolk, R. (2002). Psychosocial treatments for
multiple unexplained physical symptoms: A review of the literature. Psychosomatic
Medicine, 64, 939−950.
American Psychiatric Association (1980).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (3rdEd.). Washington, DC: Author.
American Psychiatric Association (1994).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(4th Ed.) (DSM-1V-TR). Washington, DC: Author.
American Psychiatric Association (2012). DSM-5 development. Retrieved on November 15,
2015.From.http://www.dsm5.org/proposedrevision/Pages/SomaticSymptomDisorders.as
px.
American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, (5th edition) (DSM-5). Wshington D. C.: APA.
Aishatu, Y. A. U., Ayodele, O., Moses, D. A., & Tolulope, O. A. (2013).Prevalence of
psychiatric morbidity among inmates in
Jos maximum security prison. Open Journal of
Psychiatry, 3, 12-17.
Akinnawo, E. O. (1993). Prevalence of psychological symptoms in a Nigeria prison.
Psychopathologies de African XXVI, 93-104.
Alexander, C. N., Langer, E. J., & Newman, R. I. (1989). Transcendental meditation,
mindfulness and longevity: An experimental study with the elderly. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 950–964.
Alexander, S. (2012). In memory of Sigmund Freud. New York: The Modernism Lab, Yale
University.
Allen, L., Escobar, J., Lehrer, M., Gara, M., &Woolfolk, R. (2002). Psychosocial treatments for
multiple unexplained physical symptoms: A review of the literature. Psychosomatic
Medicine, 64, 939−950.
American Psychiatric Association (1980).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (3rdEd.). Washington, DC: Author.
American Psychiatric Association (1994).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(4th Ed.) (DSM-1V-TR). Washington, DC: Author.
American Psychiatric Association (2012). DSM-5 development. Retrieved on November 15,
2015.From.http://www.dsm5.org/proposedrevision/Pages/SomaticSymptomDisorders.as
px.
American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, (5th edition) (DSM-5). Wshington D. C.: APA.
StudentsandScholarship Team.
Be the first to comment