Depressive Symptoms in People Under the Condition of First Deprivation of Liberty

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate depressive symptoms and the use of coping strategies in people imprisoned for the first time in the prison system. Sixty-one inmates participated in the study. Data were collected through a sociodemographic, health and criminal questionnaire, in addition to the Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-R) and the COPE Brief Inventory. In short, we found that 75.4% of the sample had a positive diagnosis for depressive symptoms. Factors associated with higher chances of presenting depressive symptoms in the first reclusion were: having recent health complaints and the use of coping strategies Planning and Sentiment Expression. Participants reporting current health complaints were about five times more likely to have symptoms of depression in prison. Prisoners who used Planning as a coping strategy were almost three times more likely to be in the group of people with depressive symptoms. Participants who used Sentiment Expression as a strategy were almost twice as likely to develop positive symptoms of depression on their first incarceration.