Common mental disorder among incarcerated women: a study on prevalence and associated factors

Mental disorders are present in four of the ten main causes of incapacity across the world. This article aims to analyze the prevalence of Common Mental Disorders (CMD) in incarcerated women and associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a population of 1,013 women incarcerated in a female prison. The prevalence of CMD was assessed by the SRQ-20. The hierarchical logistic regression was the method of analysis used to search for independent associations between sociodemographic, lifestyle, morbidity and violence variables with CMD and strength of association. The prevalence of CMD was 66.7%. The following variables were independently and positively associated with CMD: lack of income, hypertension, tranquilizers, physical inactivity, smoking, scabies/pediculosis, psychological violence in the year before being arrested, and having witnessed psychological violence in the family in childhood/adolescence. Interdisciplinary activities among health, justice and education institutions can contribute to a qualified assessment of women before admission into the prison system. This can enable an approach that does not exacerbate or trigger the onset of CMD, contributing to the improvement in living conditions and for better health and recovery strategies.