The Role of Childhood Abuse and Psychological Symptoms in Discriminating Frequency of Drug Use and Self-Harm in Incarcerated Men Convicted of Robbery

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of prior childhood abuse and current psychological symptoms on the frequency of drug use and self-harming behavior among a group of male prisoners convicted of robbery. The sample consists of 127 men convicted of armed, aggravated, unarmed/forced robbery, who were held in Metris T-type closed penitentiary state correctional institution. History of childhood abuse was assessed with The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and psychological symptoms were assessed with The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Frequency of drug use was assessed with three questions and self-harm was assessed through four questions both on the self-completed demographic information form. Among 127 men recruited, history of childhood abuse and psychological symptoms provided discrimination concerning frequency of drug use and self-harm. The rate of self-harming individuals in the present study was relatively high compared to the literature. There was a significant correlation between CTQ total and subscale scores and BSI total and subscale scores, except for the emotional neglect subscale.

Keywords

• Robbery
• incarceration
• childhood abuse
• psychological symptoms
• drug use
• self-harm

Soygundan Hüküm Giymiş Erkeklerde, Çocukluk Dönemi İstismarı ile Psikolojik Semptomların Uyuşturucu Kullanma Sıklığı ve Kendine Zarar Verme Sıklığını Ayırt Ediciliği

Öz

Bu çalışmada, çocukluk çağı istismar yaşantısı ile psikolojik semptom sıklığının, uyuşturucu madde kullanma ve kendine zarar verme davranışlarının sıklığını ayırd ediciliğine bakılmıştır. Çalışmanın örneklemini, Metris T tipi cezaevinde yağma, silahlı, silahsız soygundan hükümlü 127 erkek oluşturmaktadır. Çocukluk dönemi istismarı Çocukluk Çağı Travmaları Ölçeği (ÇÇTÖ) ile, psikolojik semptomlar ise Kısa Semptom Envanteri (KSE) ile ölçülmüştür. Uyuşturucu madde kullanımı ve kendine zarar verme davranışı demografik bilgi formunda sorulan sorularla belirlenmiştir. Çalışmanın sonuçları, çocukluk çağı istismar yaşantısı ile psikolojik semptom sıklığının, uyuşturucu madde kullanma ve kendine fiziksel zarar verme davranışlarının sıklığını ayırd ettiğini, psikolojik semptomların daha yüksek ayırd ediciliğe sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Çalışmada, duygusal ihmal dışında tüm ÇÇTÖ alt ölçek puanlarının, KSE toplam puanı ve tüm alt ölçek puanları ile ilişkili olduğu görülmüştür. Duygusal ihmal ise sadece hostilite ile ilişkili çıkmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Soygun
• yağma
• hükümlülük
• çocukluk çağı istismarı
• psikolojik semptomlar
• uyuşturucu madde kullanımı
• kendine fiziksel zarar verme davranışı
• Robbery
• incarceration
• childhood abuse
• psychological symptoms
• drug use
• self-harm

Kaynakça

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