Comparing Mental Disorder Symptoms Among Male and Female Prisoners

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Several studies conducted around the world have reported a high prevalence of mental disorders among prisoners and suggest that some mental disorders are more prevalent among female prisoners compared to their male counterparts. However, a limited number of studies have been conducted to examine mental disorders among Iranian female prisoners and to compare their results with those of male prisoners. Objectives: The main focus of this study was to compare mental disorder symptoms among male and female prisoners. Materials and Methods: The statistical population of the current study included all male and female prisoners in Zahedan central prison. The sampling method was conducted such that a number of variables were evaluated, including prisoners' citizenship, marital status, home address, high level of supervision, and the type of crime committed. Among all prisoners, 275 individuals met the inclusion criteria to participate in this study. Therefore, to determine the sample size, Cochran's formula was used. Then, after applying a simple random method (i.e., sortation), 160 questionnaires were distributed to male and female prisoners. To collect data, the symptom checklist-90 was used. Results: The results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that symptoms of somatic complaints, depression, anxiety, aggression, and phobia were more prevalent among female prisoners compared to their male counterparts, and only symptoms of paranoid thoughts and psychosis were more prevalent among male prisoners compared to female prisoners (P ≤ 0.01). However, no significant difference was found among male and female prisoners with regard to obsession and interpersonal sensitivity (P ≥ 0.05). Conclusions: Although the number of female prisoners is far less than that of male prisoners, the results of this study revealed that female prisoners suffer from more mental problems compared to male prisoners. Therefore, providing mental health services for this vulnerable population appears essential. Keywords: Mental Disorder; Prisoners; Prison Language: en