Association between disability and depression among incarcerated individuals in Peru

Globally, there are more than 10.7 million incarcerated individuals. People deprived of liberty (PDL) are at higher risk of developing depression; however, data regarding depression among PDL with disabilities remain limited. The purpose of this study is to estimate the association between disability and depression among incarcerated individuals in Peru.

Data from the First National Penitentiary Census of Peru, conducted in 2016, were analyzed. The independent variable was disability, while the dependent variable was depression diagnosed by a health-care professional within the penitentiary facility. Sociodemographic variables were included as potential confounders. Crude and adjusted Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

A total of 29.9% of PDL had a disability, and 2.8% had depression diagnosed by a health-care professional within the penitentiary facility. After adjusting for confounding variables, PDL with mild (PR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.55-1.96), moderate (PR = 2.24; 95% CI: 1.99-2.53) and severe disability (PR = 2.69; 95% CI: 2.35-3.09) had a higher likelihood of experiencing depression compared to PDL without a disability.

In Peru, PDL with disabilities are more likely to experience depression compared to their counterparts without disabilities. Furthermore, the prevalence of depression increases progressively with the severity of disability. It is essential that this population group be prioritized in penitentiary mental health policies.