Life Events and Psychological Well-being in Women Sentenced to Prison

There have been no systematic analyses of the factors that influence the development of psychological well-being in women sentenced to prison. This study identified relationships among life events, coping resources, and psychological well-being (indicated by the absence of anxiety and depression). A descriptive correlational design was used in a convenience sample of 62 incarcerated female offenders. The respondents were in their early 30s, single, unemployed, and receiving financial support from a variety of sources. They reported an average of 10 life events in the 12 months preceding incarceration and accumulated an average of 354 life change units. A positive correlation between the number of life events and depression was identified (r = .24, p < .05). The women in this study had high levels of depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (L. Radloff, 1977; M = 31) and anxiety as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (C. D. Spielberger, 1983; M = 46). Nursing interventions to reduce psychological distress at the time of admission to a correctional facility may reduce feelings of loss, inadequacy, and powerlessness that the women might otherwise have to endure.