Psychological characteristics as correlates of emotional burden in incarcerated offenders in Nigeria

Objectives: To evaluate the demographic and psychosocial characteristics of incarcerated offenders in a Nigerian prison and investigate their relationship with psychiatric morbidity.Design: A cross-sectional study employing the 30 – item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30) and the depression sub-scale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADSDepression).Setting: A medium security prison located in Ilesa, a semi-urban community in Southwestern Nigeria.Subjects: Three hundred and three prison inmates.Results: Out of the 352 inmates, 49 (13.9%) refused to participate in the study. There was a preponderance of male offenders (96.4%), and majority (59.3%) was awaiting trial. Thirteen inmates (4.3%) had been imprisoned before (i.e., before current imprisonment). Less than half (34%) reported enjoying good mental health in prison while 11 (3.7%) gave history of previous mental disorder before imprisonment. Majority reported the level of visitation and financial assistance by relatives and friends as poor. Also, majority reported prison accommodation and feeding as poor while less than a half of the sample were satisfied with the level of available health care. Majority of the inmates scored above the cut-off points on the measures of psychopathology. These were 87.8% and 85.3% on the GHQ - 30 and the HADS - Depression Sub-scale respectively. Significant relationship was observed between GHQ-30 ‘caseness’ and awaiting trial status, and also with reporting current mental health; prison accommodation and prison feeding as poor. In addition, significant depressive symptoms were associated with being a Muslim or traditional religion worshipper; lower education; single, divorced or separated marital status, and appraisal of current mental health as poor.Conclusion: The results are largely similar to findings from the developed world. Improving living condition and provision of basic needs of the prisoners appear essential for the promotion of their mental health

EMOTIONAL DISTRESS AND SELF-REPORTED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PRIMARY CAREGIVERS OF STROKE SURVIVORS IN NIGERIA

Objectives: To investigate emotional symptoms and domain quality of life (QOL) among primary caregivers of stroke survivors and to determine survivor-related and caregiver-related predictors of these variables.Design: A cross-sectional study.Setting: Medical units of the two major hospitals of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, ile-Ife, Nigeria.Subjects: One hundred and three matched-pairs of caregivers of stroke survivors and caregivers of mild hypertensive patients, and 103 stroke survivors.Results: Twenty three (22.3%) and 25(24.3%) stroke caregivers were observed with clinically significant anxiety and depressive symptoms respectively compared with 12(11.7%) and 14(13.6%) subjects in the control group. Stroke caregivers were observed with significantly higher mean anxiety and depressions scores, and also, with significantly lower mean scores on the four QOLdomains (physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environment). By multiple linear regression analysis, anxiety symptoms in stroke caregivers were predicted by high socioeconomic status of survivors and paresis in them. Depressive symptoms were predicted by high caregivers’ age and depression in the patients. Higher QOL on one or more WHOQOL-Bref domainswas predicted by intimate relationship with survivor, female gender of caregiver, longer duration of caring, higher education of survivor and higher age of survivor. Low QOL on one or more domain(s) was predicted by higher caregivers’ age, carers’ perception of survivor as cooperative, female gender of survivor, depression in survivor, paresis and cognitive impairment in survivor.Conclusion: Caregiving imposes high burden on stroke carers. Attention should be paid to their psychological needs and services should be designed for them to ameliorate the burden

Sociodemographic and Offence-related characteristics of Homicide Offenders in a Nigerian prison

Background: Research on the sociodemographic, historical and forensic characteristics of homicide continue to attract the attention of mental health professionals in developing countries owing to the ongoing debate on the relationship between homicide offences and the presence of mental illness in perpetrators. This attention is partly due to the potential of these variables to be risk factors for homicide offences. There is a need to update available information in Nigeria. Aim: The study was carried out to evaluate socio-demographic and certain homicide- related characteristics of homicide defendants and to determine the relationship between socio-demographic variables and charge of homicide. Method: A questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic and homiciderelated items were administered on 66 homicide defendants at Ilesa prison, Nigeria. The socio-demographic questionaires were also administered on 66 other prisoners, as control. Results: The homicide offenders consisted of 63 (95.5%) males and 3 (4.5%) females. Most of them (78.8%) were less than 40years old. Most of the victims (72.7%) were males. In 81.8% of cases, the victims were known to the defendants. The commonest method of homicide was the use of sharp objects (27.3%) followed by the use of firearms (21.2%). Marital status, level of education and type of religion were not observed to be statistically different between the two groups. Even though, most respondents belong to less skilled occupational groups, the homicide defendants were significantly more represented in these groups and they were significantly more unemployed. Conclusion: The observations indicate that some level of restriction needs to be imposed on acquisition of dane-guns and call for concerted effort to tackle the interrelated problems of unemployment, poverty, and idleness in the society

Homicide and Psychoactive Substance use among Offenders in a Nigerian Prison.

Background: Information from previous reports tend to suggest that drug use is associated with crime, particularly with homicide offences. Data on drug use among homicide offenders are scarce in Nigeria. Aim: The study was carried out to determine the relationship between psychoactive substance use and homicide. Method: All the 66 homicide offenders in a Nigerian prison and 66 matched control prisoners, charged for nonviolent offences were studied. Information on socio-demographic variables and drug use was obtained from all the respondents by interview. Results: Before imprisonment, the homicide offenders reported the use of alcohol, cannabis and stimulants with rates of 34.6%, 15.2% and 1.5% respectively. During imprisonment, lower rates of use were reported forthese substances. These were 6.1% 1.5% and 6.1% respectively. The consolidated drug use rate among the non-violent prisoners (74.2%) wassignificantly higher than for the homicide defendants (53.0%), before imprisonment (