Os preditores de saúde mental em reclusos do género masculino : o papel das estratégias de coping e da orientação positiva para a vida

Abstract

Coping strategies and positive life orientation (PLO) have been shown to be essential to successful adaptation in several other contexts. However, studies in this area are still scarce in the specific context of imprisonment, despite the relevance of understanding what may enhance a better psychological adaptation and adjustment in prison settings. Therefore, this research aims to: 1) Analyze the main sources of stress and the most used coping strategies in seclusion; 2) Analyze the differences in coping strategies, PLO, mental health, and psychological distress according to the time of seclusion; 3) Analyze the role of OPV and coping strategies in mental health and psychological distress. A total of 180 Portuguese male inmates aged 22 to 75 participated in this study (M = 40.36; SD = 11.12). Concerning sources of stress, interpersonal relationships emerge as the biggest stressor (40.2% of responses), followed by the situation of confinement (19.1% of responses). Regarding coping strategies, the most used by inmates were active coping, acceptance, and planning. The least used were substance use, behavioral divestment, and humor. Also, concerning coping strategies, significant differences were found in their use between groups, more specifically in emotional ventilation and substance use. Regarding well- being, the levels of emotional and psychological well-being are below the average values for the Portuguese population, while social well-being is above. Regarding distress values, moderate anxiety and depression and mild stress values were recorded considering the reference values. In the case of well-being, after controlling for the effect of age and time in prison, PLO, planning, and active coping stood out as significant predictors. Concerning distress, after controlling for the same variables mentioned above, PLO, denial, behavioral disinvestment, substance use, religion, self-blame, and mood stood out as significant predictors. Keywords:

Date of Award	2023
Original language	Portuguese
Supervisor	Maria José Pereira Ferreira (Supervisor)