Smartphone Addiction among Adolescents in Southern Italy and Correlation with Other Risky Behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Addiction to smartphone is defined as the disability to cease using the device despite the physical, psychological, or social consequences. The diagnosis of this disorder is increasing exponentially among teenagers, even more so after Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aims to analyze the risk of mobile phone addiction among teenagers in Italy and its relationship with other risk behaviors, such as drug consumption and emotional well-being, following the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in Catania, Sicily, during 2022. The study sample comprised 342 students from a secondary education center that answered to a validated Italian version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Version (SAS-SV) accessing through computers and mobile devices. Subjective Wellbeing was measured with the Personal Wellbeing Index-School Children (PWI-SC). Also, they completed the NIAAA Brief Alcohol Use Screener. RESULTS: Our results showed that 30.1% of students who participated in the survey were classified with a smartphone addiction. Besides, most of the participants used the Smartphone for social networks (86.0%). Regarding the other aspects measured, the mean self-perceived well-being score measured with the PWI-SC was 55.5, and 36.2% of participants were categorized as "high risk" for depression. Finally, four out of ten participants were at "moderate or high risk" of an alcohol use disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the use of mobile phones is increasing in adolescents, an age group also exposed to social and health problems.

Validation and measurement invariance of the childhood trauma questionnaire short form among incarcerated men and women in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Childhood trauma is highly prevalent among incarcerated individuals and contributes to a range of negative outcomes. Assessing traumatic childhood events in prison settings requires valid, reliable, and effective instruments. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: This study evaluated the performance of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form (CTQ-SF), originally developed and validated in English, within a sample of incarcerated men and women (n = 1118 and n = 207, respectively) in six Spanish prisons. RESULTS: The results indicated that the CTQ-SF had an acceptable fit in our sample. However, the internal consistency of the Physical Neglect subscale was found to be deficient (α = 0.57), especially among women (α = 0.43). This finding aligns with previous research across different contexts, which may signal weaknesses in the original construction of this subscale. The CTQ-SF demonstrated limited invariance between men and women, with only configural invariance being achieved, constraining the comparisons that can be made across sexes. In the absence of scalar invariance, comparisons of factor means to assess severity may be misleading, and caution is recommended when comparing prevalence estimates for men and women in Spanish prisons. Nonetheless, our findings support the convergent validity of the CTQ-SF, as trauma severity showed moderate correlations with depression, anxiety, stress, and aggression. CONCLUSIONS: These results underscore the importance of evaluating the performance of instruments across various cultural contexts and populations to ensure the validity of study conclusions.

Suicide Risk among University Students in Spain: Implications for Social Work.

Suicide is a phenomenon that affects university students all over the world, and although vulnerability has been revealed in universities, there are still few studies that include large populations, a large number of universities and students pursuing different degrees. The study presented here aims to detect the risk of suicide in Spanish university students pursuing different areas of study. A total of 2,025 students from 16 Spanish universities and 17 degree programs completed an online questionnaire assessing support and suicide risk factors. The results indicate that 29.2 percent of the university students had experienced suicidal ideation in their lifetime. Logistic regression analysis showed that this risk was associated with depressive symptomatology and having suffered sexual violence. In contrast, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and perceived support were shown to be protective factors. Suicide risk affects one in three students. The present study includes particular implications for decision makers in the university community and other related governmental bodies, as well as for social work.

The Prevalence of Prison-based Physical and Sexual Victimization in Males and Females: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review investigated the prevalence of prison-based interpersonal harm by type of victimization (physical and sexual) and sex, along with the heterogeneity among studies using meta-regression. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and the Meta-Analysis guidelines, 24 articles met the selection criteria. Study quality was assessed using the Joana Briggs Institute (20.8% deemed low quality, 33.3% moderate, and 45.9% high). Searches were conducted in Criminal Justice Abstracts, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science. The 24 articles comprised 36 separate samples inclusive of 23,967 incarcerated individuals. The random-effects pooled prevalence estimate of prison-based physical victimization was 18.8%, with slightly higher rates for females (20.3%) than males (18.1%). For sexual victimization, the pooled prevalence estimate was 12.4%, with higher rates among females (15.3%) than males (9.7%). For females, younger individuals reported higher rates of physical and sexual victimization and studies using smaller samples had higher rates of physical victimization. Rates of physical and sexual victimization for men were higher if perpetrators included residents and staff, the recall period was since admission, data was collected using self-administered surveys, and in low-quality studies (sexual victimization only). Rates of prison-based interpersonal harm, while high, varied significantly by type of victimization, sex, and study methodology. High heterogeneity will be reduced only if future studies adhere to best methodological practices in defining and collecting data on interpersonal harm and consistently test risk and prevention factors instrumental to prevention efforts. Study limitations include the exclusion of unpublished and non-English-language studies, small sample sizes for female studies, and methodological "noise" within the literature that reduce predictive precision.

Patterns of Childhood Adversities and Their Associations With Adult Victimization Among Incarcerated Men and Women in Spanish Prisons.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are prevalent and have long lasting effects. There is evidence of gender differences in exposure to different types of ACEs, with women experiencing higher levels of sexual abuse and cumulative adversity than men. Despite this, most research examining patterns of adversities have used joint samples, assuming that men and women have comparable profiles. The current study examines if distinct profiles of childhood adversities exist for men and women and analyzes their associations with multiple forms of interpersonal victimization during adulthood. Participants were 2,709 residents (91.6% men and 8.4% women) from eight prisons in Spain, who completed a self-administered survey. Latent Class Analysis revealed different patterns of childhood adversities for men and women. For both groups, higher adversity was associated with interpersonal harm during adulthood.

Substance use and victimization experiences among college students in Spain.

OBJECTIVE: We examined relationships between different types and patterns of substance use and victimization experiences. PARTICIPANTS: College students from two universities in Spain completed an online, cross-sectional survey. METHOD: A series of tetrachoric correlations were estimated to examine the bivariate associations between different types of substances and victimization experiences. Regression analyses then examined relationships between patterns of substance use (non-users, mono-users, and poly-users), and victimization. RESULTS: Slightly over half (57.7%) of students reported any form of victimization during the previous year, and most students (87.0%) reported using substances during the last three months. Polysubstance users were more likely than non-users to experience any victimization, as well as multiple forms of victimization. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the importance of differentiating types and patterns of substance use when developing prevention and intervention programs. Implementing intervention strategies that target polysubstance users and decrease substance use could reduce rates of victimization among college students.

Burnout, apoyo social, ansiedad y satisfacción laboral en profesionales del Trabajo Social / Burnout, social support, anxiety and job satisfaction among social work professionals

Resumen La presente investigación analiza la prevalencia de burnout y los factores de riesgo asociados a nivel demográfico, laboral, apoyo social percibido, ansiedad y satisfacción laboral en el colectivo de trabajadores/as sociales en España. Se partió de la hipótesis que suponía que un mayor apoyo social percibido disminuye el burnout; que una mayor ansiedad estaría vinculada a aumentar su presencia; y que una mayor satisfacción laboral estaría vinculada a una menor incidencia de burnout. La muestra de estudio estuvo compuesta por un total de 252 trabajadores/as sociales, de los que el 88.5 % (n = 223) eran mujeres, y el 11.5 % (n = 29) eran hombres, de los Colegios Profesionales de Trabajo Social de Sevilla y Murcia. Se recogió información sobre variables demográficas, laborales, apoyo social percibido (mediante el Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire), síntomas de ansiedad (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), satisfacción laboral (Overall Job Satisfaction) y burnout.Maslach Burnout Inventory). La investigación demostró que, en función de la prevalencia de burnout, un 46.8 % (n = 118) mostraba un alto cansancio emocional; un 56.7 % (n = 143), una elevada despersonalización; y un 62.3 % (n = 157), baja realización personal. Determinadas variables se asocian, de manera estadísticamente significativa, a las diferentes dimensiones de burnout, específicamente: mayor edad, antigüedad laboral, ansiedad, menor apoyo social percibido y satisfacción laboral. Los presentes resultados ponen de manifiesto el grado de insatisfacción entre los trabajadores/as sociales de España, lo cual hace un llamamiento a otros investigadores/as a analizar los factores de protección que pueden amortiguar la aparición y los efectos negativos del burnout, y a llevar a cabo estrategias de prevención destinadas a reducir esta problemática global.

Abstract Burnout, defined with its most agreed upon definition, given in 1982 by Christina Maslach (Maslach Burnout Inventory), is a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job. Individuals suffering from burnout experience emotional exhaustion, depersonalization of clients, and reduced feelings of personal accomplishment. The well-documented day-to-day and long-term experiences of job stress and burnout among social services institutions increasingly raise concerns among leaders, policy makers and scholars. In this senses, previous research conducted internationally has shown a high prevalence of burnout among Social Workers collective. The burnout in Social Work is related to three types of factors: individual (seniority, gender, training and qualification, personality attributes, etc.), organizational (role stress, uncertainty, work overload, lack of human resources, etc.), and contextual. However, it is not frequent to find studies that analyze this occupational health problem in Spain. Current research explores the prevalence of burnout (using the Maslach Burnout Inventory) and associated risk factors like the demographic, occupational, perceived social support (Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and job satisfaction levels (Overall Job Satisfaction) among social workers in Spain. Higher perceived social support decreases; higher anxiety is linked to higher burnout, and higher job satisfaction is linked to lower burnout incidence. Participants: the study's sample was composed of a total of 252 subjects, of which 88.5 % (n = 223) were women, and 11.5 % (n = 29) were men, all social workers from the Professional Associations of Social Work of Seville and Murcia, with an average age of 40.7 years. The information was collected online via the Google Questionnaire application at the end of 2017. The questionnaire was divided into four different blocks: demographic (including age, sex, marital status and number of children) and labor (seniority, employment sector and employment context ) variables; perceived social support (Duke-UNC functional social support questionnaire); Generalized Anxiety disorder scale (GAD 7); Overall Job Satisfaction questionnaire; and burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), whose 22 questions measure emotional exhaustion, low depersonalization and personal fulfillment. Based on the prevalence of burnout, 46.8 % (n = 118) showed high emotional exhaustion, 56.7 % (n = 143) high depersonalization and 62.3 % (n = 157) low personal achievement. Likewise, after logistic regression analysis, it is observed how certain variables are statistically significantly associated with the different dimensions of burnout, specifically, emotional exhaustion was associated with older age (OR = 1.028; p = .038), work seniority (OR = 1.032; p = .038) and job satisfaction (OR = .978; p = .009). High depersonalization was positively associated with working in social services (OR = 1.726; p = .018), perceived social support (OR = .969; p = .026) and anxiety (OR = 1.213; p = .037). Finally, low personal achievement was statistically associated with perceived social support (OR = .969; p = .026) and anxiety (OR = 1.213; p = .037). Current results could be effective when carrying out prevention strategies aimed at reducing the problem of burnout among Social Work professionals in Spain. The socio-economic and political context of Spain characterized by austerity in recent years has negatively affected the public sector and social services through restrictions on access to rights, precarious working conditions for social workers, reduction of templates and work teams, elimination of public services and benefits, progressive privatization and reduction of budgets for social policies, increasing the workload of social workers in Spain. Current results show the degree of dissatisfaction among social workers in Spain, calling on other researchers to analyze the protective factors that can cushion the appearance and negative effects of burnout.

Suicide behaviours in incarcerated males: Links to psychopathic traits, forms of aggression to others, personal characteristics, and current penitentiary variables.

Self-injurious behaviours and suicide attempts among incarcerated people are higher when compared with the general population. The current research is designed to examine the prevalence of self-injurious behaviours and suicide attempts among incarcerated males in Spain, and the factors associated with these behaviours. 201 men imprisoned in Spain completed anonymous self-report measures of demographic variables (e.g., age, marital status), the Triarchic Psychopathy Model (boldness, meanness, and disinhibition) and impulsive/premeditated aggression and aggressive behaviour (including physical, verbal, hostility, and anger). Official records were also consulted for information related to criminality (i.e., prior imprisonment and type of offence). Overall, 37.5% of residents reported having injured themselves at a time of anger or despair and 24.9% reported attempting suicide at any point in their lives. Lower scores in meanness, higher scores on impulsive aggression, serious illnesses and previous imprisonment were associated with an increased risk of self-injurious and/or suicide attempting behaviours. Being married acted as a protective factor of attempting suicide. Trait variables related to psychopathy (lower meanness) and aggression (higher impulsive aggression) were associated with increased frequency of suicide attempts in prisoners even after controlling for personal and criminal variables. The prevention of high rates of suicide in prisons needs the treatment of those cognitive variables in addition to more contextual personal and criminal variables.

Incarcerated Women in Spain: The Salience of Traumatic Exposure.

Incarcerated women are at high risk of exposure to traumatic events with subsequent development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study builds on prior research by adding new findings from Spain on the association between childhood and prison victimization, and negative emotional states with PTSD symptoms during incarceration among women. The study sample (N = 174) included female prison inmates enrolled from two prisons located in Southeast Spain. Participants completed self-report questionnaires including demographic and criminal variables, childhood and prison victimization (including emotional, physical and sexual victimization), negative emotional states (including depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms) and PTSD symptoms. Logistic regression analysis revealed that women screening positive for trauma had significantly greater odds for the assortment of childhood victimization, prison victimization (specifically physical victimization) and depression, anxiety, and stress. Current findings suggest a need to include these construct assessments in the screening and identification of PTSD among incarcerated women in Spain.

Suicidality Among College Students in Spain: Prevalence and Associations With Substance Use, Social Support, and Resilience.

Few studies have examined protective factors associated with reduced risk of suicidality among college students. We sought to address gaps in the literature by conducting a cross-sectional survey of 636 college students from a public university in Spain. We assessed substance use, social support, resilience, severity of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Twenty percent of students reported low severity and 27% reported high severity suicidal ideation, while 5% reported attempting suicide during the past year. Higher levels of social support represented a protective factor associated with reduced risk of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.

Latent class analysis of self-reported substance use during incarceration: Gender differences and associations with emotional distress and aggressiveness.

INTRODUCTION: We know little about the prevalence and patterns of substance use during incarceration, and we know even less about comparative substance use patterns by gender. To address these gaps in the literature, this study used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify substance use subgroups of incarcerated men (n = 1118) and women (n = 207). METHODS: The study drew data from six prisons in Spain. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire with items probing for types of drugs used in the past three months, depression, anxiety, stress symptoms, aggressiveness, and perceived social support. RESULTS: Substance use was common among incarcerated men and women, with tobacco, cannabis, and sedatives being most prevalent. LCA revealed different patterns of substance use by gender. Four- and two-class solutions best fitted the data for men and women, respectively. Aggressiveness and depression were associated with high depressant use membership for men. Among women, aggressiveness and anxiety symptoms were positively associated with high polydrug use membership. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalent and patterned use of substances inside Spanish prisons and their association with aggressiveness and depression elevates the risk of harm during incarceration. In the interest of safety and wellness, correctional behavioral health services should include and expand the availability of gender-specific integrated mental health and substance use interventions that address maladaptive behaviors such as aggression.

COVID-19 Fear, Resilience, Social Support, Anxiety, and Suicide among College Students in Spain.

Worldwide, previous studies have expressed concerns regarding the broad psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among college students as they are considered an especially vulnerable group. However, few studies have examined the prevalence of, risk of, and protective factors associated with fear of COVID-19 among college students in Europe. We have sought to address gaps in the literature by conducting a cross-sectional survey among 517 college students (79.1% women and 20.9% men) from a public university in the southeast of Spain. Participants were asked to complete the Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S) questionnaire and answer questions related to resilience, social support, anxiety, and suicide risk levels using validated scales. The results of the analysis of the variables associated with fear of COVID-19 suggest that, in addition to gender, the factor of anxiety shows a robust positive association and effect with COVID-19 fear (p < 0.001). According to our results, university institutions must adopt support mechanisms to alleviate psychological impacts on students during this pandemic, treating it similarly to other disasters. Implications for social work to reduce COVID-19 fear are also discussed.

Substance Use, Family Functionality, and Mental Health among College Students in Spain.

Mental health symptoms are overrepresented among college students worldwide. The current research investigates the associations among substance use, family functionality, and mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress) among college students in Spain. A total of 828 (59.2% female and 40.8% male) college students from two public universities completed a self-reported online survey that included items on demographic information, substance use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, prescription sedatives, and recreational sedatives), mental health symptoms (using the DASS-21 questionnaire) and family functionality (using the APGAR questionnaire). College students reporting substance use (especially recreational sedatives) and family dysfunctionality were more likely to exhibit symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. These findings provide support for the underlying role of substance use and family functionality on mental health symptoms. Treatments targeting depression, anxiety, and stress among college students in Spain should aim to reduce substance use by and increase family support of students.

Understanding Polyvictimization in Prison: Prevalence and Predictors Among Men Inmates in Spain.

Victimization-physical, sexual, and emotional-is part of prison life for a sizable proportion of incarcerated people. Research has primarily focused on the prevalence and predictors of physical or sexual victimization inside prisons located in the United States. Very little prison-based victimization research has been conducted in other countries, and even less has examined the clustering patterns of victimization (referred to as polyvictimization), and whether different demographic, behavioral health, and criminal risk factors are associated with polyvictimization. This article explores variation in victimization patterns during incarceration in Spain, and whether there is variation in the demographic, behavioral, and criminal risk factors predicting one type (physical, sexual, or emotional); two types (physical and sexual, physical and emotional, or sexual and emotional); or three types (physical, sexual, and emotional), as well as the number of different types of victimization distinguished by type of perpetrator. Self-report data were collected from 2,484 male inmates housed in eight adult prisons in Spain. More than half the sample reported at least one type of victimization, and one quarter reported two or more types of victimization. Polyvictimization was found to be strongly associated with prior childhood and adulthood victimization experienced in the community. These findings have significant policy and practice implications.

Victimization Status of Female and Male College Students in Spain: Prevalence and Relation to Mental Distress.

Despite the growing body of research concerning victimization and mental health among college populations around the world, there remains a need for additional studies that emphasize the role that victimization has on mental health. This study builds on previous research by analyzing the relationship between mental distress and victimization status in Spanish college students (n = 828, 490 women and 338 men). Using online surveys, we examined the prevalence rates of seven types of victimization (threats, insults, online slander, theft, physical abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse) and three mental health disorders (stress, anxiety, and depression, as measured by the DASS-21 [Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21]) among students at two universities in southeastern Spain. According to their victimization experiences during the 12 months prior to the interviews, participants were classified into three victimization status groups: nonvictims (42.3%), single-type victims (23.3%), and polyvictims (34.4%). Except for threat and physical abuse, women reported significantly higher rates than men for each type of victimization and were classified more often as polyvictims. MANCOVA showed significant associations between polyvictimization and all three indicators of mental distress after controlling for sex. Interestingly, there were no differences between single-type victims and nonvictims in their self-reported levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. Female students reported a higher prevalence of severe and extremely severe levels of anxiety and stress than did their male counterparts. This study highlights the fact that a nontrivial proportion of college students experience mental distress, reinforces the existing link between polyvictimization and mental health disorders, and stresses the importance of violence awareness and prevention activities targeting this population.

Personal, Criminal and Social Predictors of Suicide Attempts in Prison.

Previous epidemiological analyses indicate that specific demographic and criminal factors might be associated with suicide attempts during incarceration. However, there is a relative lack of research examining the role of social variables such as perceived social support. Data from 943 male inmates enrolled from three correctional facilities in Spain were collected. Participants completed self-report measures of the demographic, penitentiary and sentence-related, social support and suicide attempts variables. Approximately 1 in 11 inmates indicated that they had attempted suicide during incarceration. Inmates who were 50 years or above and who were serving longer sentences were significantly more likely to attempt suicide. Perceived social support was not associated with suicide attempts. These characteristics might be included in the development of intervention programs for incarcerated individuals.

Factors Conditioning Sexual Behavior in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.

The sexual behavior of older adults, especially women, has undergone changes in recent years, though there are still certain stereotypes today related to pathophysiology, beliefs, culture and tradition that negatively affect older adults' sexual activity. The aim of our review is to present the main qualitative studies analyzing how physiological and psychosocial factors affect sexual behavior in older adults. A systematic review of these qualitative studies was carried out. All stages of this review were carried out peer-to-peer in order to guarantee minimized bias. A bibliographical search was completed between February and April 2019, in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed Medline, PsycINFO ProQuest and CINAHL. To analyze the findings of the selected qualitative studies, a "Thematic Synthesis Analysis" was performed, using Eppi-Reviewer 4 software (UCL Institute of Education, University of London, UK). The quality of the studies was assessed with a CASP-Qualitative-Checklist. A total of 16,608 references were screened and 18 qualitative studies were included in this review. The studies involved 2603 participants across seven countries, most being women (approximately 80%). We identified a wide variety of physiological and psychological factors that can influence the sexual behavior of older adults, such as the presence of pathologies (erectile dysfunction and menopause), the strength of spiritual beliefs, and patriarchal roles upheld by upbringings conveying that women's role is to provide men with sexual pleasure. Biological age in relation to stereotypical models of sexual behavior, emphasized as a risk factor in the contraction of sexual diseases, seems to play a relevant role as a factor limiting sexual behavior in older adults.

The revolving prison door: Factors associated with repeat incarcerations in Spain.

Aim of the present study was to test for the relationship of mental disorders, substance use, criminal and treatment variables with reincarceration. A sample of 2484 men from eight prisons in Spain participated. Logistic regression analyses with the number of incarcerations as dependent variable and mental disorders, drug use and treatment characteristics as independent variables were calculated. Odds ratios were calculated for prisoners with repeat incarcerations using the group for the first time in prison as reference category. Close to half of the participants was incarcerated for the second time or more (45.5%). Repeat incarceration was associated with older age (OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.96-0.98), Spanish nationals (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.41-2.28), unemployment (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.21-1.78), property offense (OR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.73-2.62), being sentenced (OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.27-2.04) disciplinary infractions (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.46-2.20) and cannabis use (OR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.44-2.27), heroin use (OR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.07-2.04), and the use of tranquilizers without prescription (OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.19-2.11) during imprisonment. Repeat incarceration was not associated with self-reported mental disorders using multivariate regression, but with mental health (OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.11-1.88) and drug use treatments (OR: 1.42, 95% 1.14-1.78) during imprisonment. This research suggests that mental health and substance use treatments in prison were typically provided to prisoners with repeat incarcerations who more likely commit disciplinary offenses such as drug use during imprisonment.

Female Prisoners in Spain: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Negative Emotional States, and Social Support.

A growing body of literature on correctional populations from the past two decades indicates that a significant proportion of prison inmates report experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) during childhood. Extant literature also suggests that women suffer disproportionate victimization at all life stages. The current study examines the prevalence and magnitude of the associations between ACEs, social support, and negative emotional states (that is, anxiety, depression, and stress) among a sample of incarcerated women-a small but growing correctional population. Data were obtained from a survey of women incarcerated in two prisons in Spain (N = 174); survey questions elicited information on these women's emotional, physical, and sexual victimization during childhood in addition to their self-reported levels of social support and mental health. A series of analyses indicated that female inmates who reported ACEs similarly reported lower levels of social support and higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress as compared with nonvictimized women inmates. The findings reported here underscore the importance of attaining a fuller understanding of female inmates' histories of ACEs so that we can more accurately identify and, ideally, provide necessary services to those women at highest risk of mental health-related problems during incarceration.

Associations between childhood abuse, mental health problems, and suicide risk among male prison populations in Spain.

BACKGROUND: There are few studies exploring associations between different types of childhood abuse and mental health problems among adult prisoners. AIMS: To explore associations between history of childhood abuse, depression or anxiety, and near-lethal suicide attempts among adult prisoners, and test the hypothesis that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be a mediator between childhood abuse and adult disorder among prisoners. METHOD: We enrolled 943 men from three prisons in Spain. Childhood abuse was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire at interview and current symptoms were assessed using the 21-item Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Self-reported histories of near-lethal suicide attempts were recorded. RESULTS: Overall, 360 (40%) of the men reported at least one type of childhood abuse; 231 (24.5%) described exposure to emotional abuse, 236 (25%) to physical abuse, and 97 (10%) to sexual abuse. Survivors of all types of childhood abuse had over twice the prevalence of severe depression, anxiety, stress disorder, and near-lethal suicide attempts than men who had not been exposed. Survivors of sexual and emotional violence during childhood had more symptoms of PTSD than survivors of physical abuse. Statistically, PTSD had a mediating effect, but it was very small. CONCLUSIONS: Although other studies have shown high rates of childhood abuse histories among prisoners, this is the first to link such a history to near-lethal suicide attempts in this population.