The Relation between the Type of Crime Committed and the Mental Health Status of the Female Prisoners in Urmia

The mental health of female prisoners as a high-risk group is
very important. Evaluating their health needs has been neglected in most
societies. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the relation between the
type of crime committed and the mental health status of the female prisoners
in Urmia province, Iran.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 150 female
prisoners in 2016. The standard questionnaire of general health with 28
questions and also a questionnaire including demographic information, the
type of crime, and the conviction period were used in order to evaluate the
mental health status. The collected information was analysed through SPSS16
and by using chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test and one-way ANOVA.
Results: The results showed that 74% of the female prisoners were suspected
to have mental disorder and the least of it was depression with 20.4 per cent
being affected by it and the most severe mental disorder pertaining to social
function with 78% being affected. Also, the prisoner who had committed
murder or had been accomplices for murder, and those sentenced to death had
the worst mental health. The statistical relation between mental health and the
type of crime and the length of the sentence was significant and the odds ratio
of mental disorders among women who were sentenced for murder and for
being accomplices to murder was 2.4 times that of women who were
convicted for crimes related to drugs.
Conclusion: Considering the poor mental health of female prisoners and its
relationship with the severity of the crime and the conviction period, it is
necessary to make policies to promote mental health in prisoners in order to
promote the other aspects of prisoners’ health and also to prevent the
recurrence of crime after the discharge from prison.