Relationship between psychiatric symptoms, childhood traumas, and types of crime of convicts in Elazig closed prisons

Abstract

Our study aimed to examine the childhood traumas and psychiatric symptoms of prisoners and their relationship with crime types. Persons convicted in Elazig Penitentiary Institutions were included in the study. The Demographic and Clinical Evaluation Form, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) were administered to all participants. A total of 370 people were included in the study. For prisoners who have been imprisoned before, CTQ-physical abuse, BAI, SCL-90-somatization, anxiety, and hostility subscale scores were higher than those who entered the prison for the first time (p values: 0.020, 0.003, 0.016, 0.017, 0.047, respectively). Prisoners with a family history of prison entry had higher SCL-90 test all subscale scores, total scores and CTQ physical abuse subscale scores than the group without a family history of prison entry. Those exposed to violence in childhood and those who had attempted suicide before had higher scores on all scales. Those with a history of alcohol and substance use had higher total scores on the CTQ-emotional abuse and sexual abuse scale. According to the type of crime committed, only the CTQ-sexual abuse subscale scores differed. These subscale scores of the prisoners involved in more than one crime were higher than those involved in a single crime (p=0.030). The CTQ-sexual abuse subscale scores of those who were involved in the crime of willful homicide were calculated to be high (p=0.030). It was thought that preventing abuse, violence, and traumas in childhood may be necessary in reducing the tendency to crimes.

Keywords

• prison
• prisoner
• depression
• anxiety
• psychiatric symptoms

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