Volume 43, Issue 2, August 2024, Pages 304–314
Abimbola Afolabi1, Odedokun Solomon Adekunle2, and Helen Ajibike Fatoye3
1 Department of Social Work, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
2 Department of Counselling and Human Development Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
3 Department of Social Work, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Original language: English
Copyright © 2024 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Emotional distress encompasses a range of symptoms, which include anxiety, depression, and general psychological discomfort. It is seldom defined with precision. This may be either due to a présuméd common understanding of the term, or may reflect its reference to a range of experiences. Added to this is the fact that studies adopt different terminology, including ‘psychological distress’ and ‘mental distress’. When people are going through emotional distress, it destabilizes the individual, makes life uninterested, the individual is overwhelmed or overburdened which could make one to lose interest in one’s daily activities. Emotional distress, if not well handled could lead to suicidal ideation or actions. In view of the above, this study sought to investigate the predictors of social isolation, quality of life, and prison resilience on emotional distress among inmates of Agodi correctional centre, Ibadan, Nigeria. The descriptive research design of ex-post-facto type was used in the study. A simple random sampling technique was adopted to draw a sample size of two hundred inmates from the entire population in the prison. Valid and standardized instruments were used to collect data from the participants. Data obtained was analysed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Multiple Regression statistical tools. The results showed that the joint contribution of social isolation, quality of life, and prison resilience on emotional distress among prison inmates was significant. It also shows a coefficient of multiple correlation (R =.476 and a multiple R2 of.227. This means that 22.7% of the variance was accounted for by three predictor variables when taken together at α = 0.05. The results also showed that the analysis of variance for the regression yielded F-ratio of 24.057. This implies that the joint contribution of the independent variables to the dependent variable was significant and that other variables not included in this model may have accounted for the remaining variance. Based on the above results, it was recommended that correctional administrators, mental health professionals, and social workers should collaborate to develop and implement programs aimed at fostering positive social interactions and supportive relationships among inmates. These programs may include organizing peer support groups, facilitating group therapy sessions, and providing opportunities for recreational activities to reduce social isolation within correctional facilities. Also, facility managers, and policymakers who are responsible for addressing issues related to overcrowding, inadequate healthcare services, and substandard living conditions in correctional facilities should wakeup to their responsibilities.
Author Keywords: Emotional distress social isolation quality of life prison resilience prison inmates.
Abimbola Afolabi1, Odedokun Solomon Adekunle2, and Helen Ajibike Fatoye3
1 Department of Social Work, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
2 Department of Counselling and Human Development Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
3 Department of Social Work, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Original language: English
Copyright © 2024 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Emotional distress encompasses a range of symptoms, which include anxiety, depression, and general psychological discomfort. It is seldom defined with precision. This may be either due to a présuméd common understanding of the term, or may reflect its reference to a range of experiences. Added to this is the fact that studies adopt different terminology, including ‘psychological distress’ and ‘mental distress’. When people are going through emotional distress, it destabilizes the individual, makes life uninterested, the individual is overwhelmed or overburdened which could make one to lose interest in one’s daily activities. Emotional distress, if not well handled could lead to suicidal ideation or actions. In view of the above, this study sought to investigate the predictors of social isolation, quality of life, and prison resilience on emotional distress among inmates of Agodi correctional centre, Ibadan, Nigeria. The descriptive research design of ex-post-facto type was used in the study. A simple random sampling technique was adopted to draw a sample size of two hundred inmates from the entire population in the prison. Valid and standardized instruments were used to collect data from the participants. Data obtained was analysed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Multiple Regression statistical tools. The results showed that the joint contribution of social isolation, quality of life, and prison resilience on emotional distress among prison inmates was significant. It also shows a coefficient of multiple correlation (R =.476 and a multiple R2 of.227. This means that 22.7% of the variance was accounted for by three predictor variables when taken together at α = 0.05. The results also showed that the analysis of variance for the regression yielded F-ratio of 24.057. This implies that the joint contribution of the independent variables to the dependent variable was significant and that other variables not included in this model may have accounted for the remaining variance. Based on the above results, it was recommended that correctional administrators, mental health professionals, and social workers should collaborate to develop and implement programs aimed at fostering positive social interactions and supportive relationships among inmates. These programs may include organizing peer support groups, facilitating group therapy sessions, and providing opportunities for recreational activities to reduce social isolation within correctional facilities. Also, facility managers, and policymakers who are responsible for addressing issues related to overcrowding, inadequate healthcare services, and substandard living conditions in correctional facilities should wakeup to their responsibilities.
Author Keywords: Emotional distress social isolation quality of life prison resilience prison inmates.
How to Cite this Article
Abimbola Afolabi, Odedokun Solomon Adekunle, and Helen Ajibike Fatoye, “Predictors of emotional distress among inmates of Agodi correctional centre, Ibadan, Nigeria,” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 304–314, August 2024.
