Psychopathology and other Contributing Stressful Factors in Female Offenders: An Exploratory Study

Psychopathology and stressful factors contributing to the same have been under studied in the Indian context with few studies available in the area. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence and type of psychopathology and history of other contributing stressful factors in female offenders in a state run urban prison.

The study was carried out in a state run prison located in an urban area with a cross sectional design. A semi structured proforma, DSM-IV TR, and Modified Kuppuswamy's socioeconomic scale was used by a trained psychiatrist to interview the participants and diagnose psychopathology. A total of 50 female offenders participated in the study. All statistics were assessed using relevant tests by a qualified bio-statistician and using appropriate computer software.

The prevalence of psychopathology was found to be 82%. The most common psychopathology was found to be substance related disorder followed by major depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, personality disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Forty eight percent (n=24) of the participants had dual diagnosis. Family history of psychopathology was found in 12% of the participants, history of child abuse in 36%, history of parental Loss in 22%, history of domestic violence in 40%, history of marital disharmony in 62%, history of inadequate family support in 54%, history of deliberate self-harm in 28% and history of substance abuse was found in 40%.

Thus, the psychiatric morbidity and history of contributing stressful factors in female prisoners is very high. There is an urgent need to recognize these psychopathologies and provide help and treatment to improve the overall quality of life of these female prisoners.