Coping Strategies and Depression among Male Inmates of a Nigerian Correctional Facility: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Researchers have consistently found higher rates of mental illnesses, especially depression, in prison populations compared to the general population. Even though specific coping strategies have been implicated as a factor influencing the mental well-being of inmates, little is known about this interplay in resource-poor settings. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between coping strategies and depression among inmates of a prison in Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: This was a two-stage cross-sectional study involving 269 inmates of Calabar Prison, Nigeria. Participants were administered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Coping Strategies Inventory-Short Form, and the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). Respondents who scored ≥3 on the GHQ-12 together with 10% of low scorers proceeded to the second stage for an interview using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Results: The prevalence of depression among study participants was 30.5%. Emotion-focused disengagement coping strategies (odds ratio [OR]: 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05–1.20) and a history of mental illness before imprisonment (OR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.34–8.57) significantly predicted depression, whereas problem-focused engagement was protective (OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 0.86–0.98). Conclusion: Compared to the general population, depression is more common among prison inmates and is associated with using specific coping strategies. Coping strategies deserve increasing consideration when planning mental health intervention programs for this population.

Keywords

• coping strategies
• depression
• inmates
• mental illness
• prison