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Sleep Quality and Psychological Status in a Group of Italian Prisoners

Author

Listed:
  • Giulia D’Aurizio

    (Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy)

  • Angelica Caldarola

    (Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy)

  • Marianna Ninniri

    (Penitentiary Institution-Casa Circondariale Lanciano, 66034 Chieti, Italy)

  • Marialucia Avvantaggiato

    (Penitentiary Institution-Casa Circondariale Lanciano, 66034 Chieti, Italy)

  • Giuseppe Curcio

    (Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy)

Abstract

Prison could be considered a prolonged stressful situation that can trigger not only a dysregulation of sleep patterns but can also bring out psychiatric illness, such as anxiety and depression symptoms. Our study is aimed at exploring sleep quality and sleep habits in an Italian prison ward with three different security levels, and to attempt to clarify how anxiety state and the total time spent in prison can moderate insomnia complaints. There were 129 participants divided into three groups who enrolled in this study: 50 were in the medium-security prison ward (Group 1), 58 were in the high-security prison ward (Group 2) and 21 were in the medium-security following a protocol of detention with reduced custodial measures (Group 3). All participants filled in a set of questionnaires that included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-2), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Based on their responses, we observed that all participants showed poor sleep quality and insomnia, mild to moderate depressive symptoms that tended to a higher severity in Groups 1 and 3, and the presence of clinically significant anxiety symptoms, mainly in Groups 1 and 3. Our study shows that increased anxiety state-level and the presence of mood alteration corresponds to an increase in both poor sleep quality and, more specifically, insomnia complaints. Finally, we propose that TiP (total time in prison) could have an interesting and stabilizing paradox-function on anxiety state and insomnia.

Suggested Citation

  • Giulia D’Aurizio & Angelica Caldarola & Marianna Ninniri & Marialucia Avvantaggiato & Giuseppe Curcio, 2020. "Sleep Quality and Psychological Status in a Group of Italian Prisoners," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-10, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:12:p:4224-:d:371026
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Marco Lauriola & R. Nicholas Carleton & Daniela Tempesta & Pierpaolo Calanna & Valentina Socci & Oriana Mosca & Federico Salfi & Luigi De Gennaro & Michele Ferrara, 2019. "A Correlational Analysis of the Relationships among Intolerance of Uncertainty, Anxiety Sensitivity, Subjective Sleep Quality, and Insomnia Symptoms," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-15, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ines Testoni & Irene Nencioni & Maibrit Arbien & Erika Iacona & Francesca Marrella & Vittoria Gorzegno & Cristina Selmi & Francesca Vianello & Alfonso Nava & Adriano Zamperini & Michael Alexander Wies, 2021. "Mental Health in Prison: Integrating the Perspectives of Prison Staff," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-14, October.

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