Validation and measurement invariance of the childhood trauma questionnaire short form among incarcerated men and women in Spain

BACKGROUND

Childhood trauma is highly prevalent among incarcerated individuals and contributes to a range of negative outcomes. Assessing traumatic childhood events in prison settings requires valid, reliable, and effective instruments.

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS

This study evaluated the performance of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form (CTQ-SF), originally developed and validated in English, within a sample of incarcerated men and women (n = 1118 and n = 207, respectively) in six Spanish prisons.

RESULTS

The results indicated that the CTQ-SF had an acceptable fit in our sample. However, the internal consistency of the Physical Neglect subscale was found to be deficient (α = 0.57), especially among women (α = 0.43). This finding aligns with previous research across different contexts, which may signal weaknesses in the original construction of this subscale. The CTQ-SF demonstrated limited invariance between men and women, with only configural invariance being achieved, constraining the comparisons that can be made across sexes. In the absence of scalar invariance, comparisons of factor means to assess severity may be misleading, and caution is recommended when comparing prevalence estimates for men and women in Spanish prisons. Nonetheless, our findings support the convergent validity of the CTQ-SF, as trauma severity showed moderate correlations with depression, anxiety, stress, and aggression.

CONCLUSIONS

These results underscore the importance of evaluating the performance of instruments across various cultural contexts and populations to ensure the validity of study conclusions.

The Prevalence of Prison-based Physical and Sexual Victimization in Males and Females: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review investigated the prevalence of prison-based interpersonal harm by type of victimization (physical and sexual) and sex, along with the heterogeneity among studies using meta-regression. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and the Meta-Analysis guidelines, 24 articles met the selection criteria. Study quality was assessed using the Joana Briggs Institute (20.8% deemed low quality, 33.3% moderate, and 45.9% high). Searches were conducted in Criminal Justice Abstracts, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science. The 24 articles comprised 36 separate samples inclusive of 23,967 incarcerated individuals. The random-effects pooled prevalence estimate of prison-based physical victimization was 18.8%, with slightly higher rates for females (20.3%) than males (18.1%). For sexual victimization, the pooled prevalence estimate was 12.4%, with higher rates among females (15.3%) than males (9.7%). For females, younger individuals reported higher rates of physical and sexual victimization and studies using smaller samples had higher rates of physical victimization. Rates of physical and sexual victimization for men were higher if perpetrators included residents and staff, the recall period was since admission, data was collected using self-administered surveys, and in low-quality studies (sexual victimization only). Rates of prison-based interpersonal harm, while high, varied significantly by type of victimization, sex, and study methodology. High heterogeneity will be reduced only if future studies adhere to best methodological practices in defining and collecting data on interpersonal harm and consistently test risk and prevention factors instrumental to prevention efforts. Study limitations include the exclusion of unpublished and non-English-language studies, small sample sizes for female studies, and methodological "noise" within the literature that reduce predictive precision.

Suicide Risk among University Students in Spain: Implications for Social Work

Suicide is a phenomenon that affects university students all over the world, and although vulnerability has been revealed in universities, there are still few studies that include large populations, a large number of universities and students pursuing different degrees. The study presented here aims to detect the risk of suicide in Spanish university students pursuing different areas of study. A total of 2,025 students from 16 Spanish universities and 17 degree programs completed an online questionnaire assessing support and suicide risk factors. The results indicate that 29.2 percent of the university students had experienced suicidal ideation in their lifetime. Logistic regression analysis showed that this risk was associated with depressive symptomatology and having suffered sexual violence. In contrast, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and perceived support were shown to be protective factors. Suicide risk affects one in three students. The present study includes particular implications for decision makers in the university community and other related governmental bodies, as well as for social work.

Substance use and victimization experiences among college students in Spain

OBJECTIVE

We examined relationships between different types and patterns of substance use and victimization experiences.

PARTICIPANTS

College students from two universities in Spain completed an online, cross-sectional survey.

METHOD

A series of tetrachoric correlations were estimated to examine the bivariate associations between different types of substances and victimization experiences. Regression analyses then examined relationships between patterns of substance use (non-users, mono-users, and poly-users), and victimization.

RESULTS

Slightly over half (57.7%) of students reported any form of victimization during the previous year, and most students (87.0%) reported using substances during the last three months. Polysubstance users were more likely than non-users to experience any victimization, as well as multiple forms of victimization.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlight the importance of differentiating types and patterns of substance use when developing prevention and intervention programs. Implementing intervention strategies that target polysubstance users and decrease substance use could reduce rates of victimization among college students.

Patterns of Childhood Adversities and Their Associations With Adult Victimization Among Incarcerated Men and Women in Spanish Prisons

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are prevalent and have long lasting effects. There is evidence of gender differences in exposure to different types of ACEs, with women experiencing higher levels of sexual abuse and cumulative adversity than men. Despite this, most research examining patterns of adversities have used joint samples, assuming that men and women have comparable profiles. The current study examines if distinct profiles of childhood adversities exist for men and women and analyzes their associations with multiple forms of interpersonal victimization during adulthood. Participants were 2,709 residents (91.6% men and 8.4% women) from eight prisons in Spain, who completed a self-administered survey. Latent Class Analysis revealed different patterns of childhood adversities for men and women. For both groups, higher adversity was associated with interpersonal harm during adulthood.

Incarcerated Women in Spain: The Salience of Traumatic Exposure

Incarcerated women are at high risk of exposure to traumatic events with subsequent development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study builds on prior research by adding new findings from Spain on the association between childhood and prison victimization, and negative emotional states with PTSD symptoms during incarceration among women. The study sample (N = 174) included female prison inmates enrolled from two prisons located in Southeast Spain. Participants completed self-report questionnaires including demographic and criminal variables, childhood and prison victimization (including emotional, physical and sexual victimization), negative emotional states (including depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms) and PTSD symptoms. Logistic regression analysis revealed that women screening positive for trauma had significantly greater odds for the assortment of childhood victimization, prison victimization (specifically physical victimization) and depression, anxiety, and stress. Current findings suggest a need to include these construct assessments in the screening and identification of PTSD among incarcerated women in Spain.

COVID-19 Fear, Resilience, Social Support, Anxiety, and Suicide among College Students in Spain

Worldwide, previous studies have expressed concerns regarding the broad psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among college students as they are considered an especially vulnerable group. However, few studies have examined the prevalence of, risk of, and protective factors associated with fear of COVID-19 among college students in Europe. We have sought to address gaps in the literature by conducting a cross-sectional survey among 517 college students (79.1% women and 20.9% men) from a public university in the southeast of Spain. Participants were asked to complete the Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S) questionnaire and answer questions related to resilience, social support, anxiety, and suicide risk levels using validated scales. The results of the analysis of the variables associated with fear of COVID-19 suggest that, in addition to gender, the factor of anxiety shows a robust positive association and effect with COVID-19 fear (p < 0.001). According to our results, university institutions must adopt support mechanisms to alleviate psychological impacts on students during this pandemic, treating it similarly to other disasters. Implications for social work to reduce COVID-19 fear are also discussed.

Victimization Status of Female and Male College Students in Spain: Prevalence and Relation to Mental Distress

Despite the growing body of research concerning victimization and mental health among college populations around the world, there remains a need for additional studies that emphasize the role that victimization has on mental health. This study builds on previous research by analyzing the relationship between mental distress and victimization status in Spanish college students (n = 828, 490 women and 338 men). Using online surveys, we examined the prevalence rates of seven types of victimization (threats, insults, online slander, theft, physical abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse) and three mental health disorders (stress, anxiety, and depression, as measured by the DASS-21 [Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21]) among students at two universities in southeastern Spain. According to their victimization experiences during the 12 months prior to the interviews, participants were classified into three victimization status groups: nonvictims (42.3%), single-type victims (23.3%), and polyvictims (34.4%). Except for threat and physical abuse, women reported significantly higher rates than men for each type of victimization and were classified more often as polyvictims. MANCOVA showed significant associations between polyvictimization and all three indicators of mental distress after controlling for sex. Interestingly, there were no differences between single-type victims and nonvictims in their self-reported levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. Female students reported a higher prevalence of severe and extremely severe levels of anxiety and stress than did their male counterparts. This study highlights the fact that a nontrivial proportion of college students experience mental distress, reinforces the existing link between polyvictimization and mental health disorders, and stresses the importance of violence awareness and prevention activities targeting this population.

Understanding Polyvictimization in Prison: Prevalence and Predictors Among Men Inmates in Spain

Victimization-physical, sexual, and emotional-is part of prison life for a sizable proportion of incarcerated people. Research has primarily focused on the prevalence and predictors of physical or sexual victimization inside prisons located in the United States. Very little prison-based victimization research has been conducted in other countries, and even less has examined the clustering patterns of victimization (referred to as polyvictimization), and whether different demographic, behavioral health, and criminal risk factors are associated with polyvictimization. This article explores variation in victimization patterns during incarceration in Spain, and whether there is variation in the demographic, behavioral, and criminal risk factors predicting one type (physical, sexual, or emotional); two types (physical and sexual, physical and emotional, or sexual and emotional); or three types (physical, sexual, and emotional), as well as the number of different types of victimization distinguished by type of perpetrator. Self-report data were collected from 2,484 male inmates housed in eight adult prisons in Spain. More than half the sample reported at least one type of victimization, and one quarter reported two or more types of victimization. Polyvictimization was found to be strongly associated with prior childhood and adulthood victimization experienced in the community. These findings have significant policy and practice implications.

Suicidality Among College Students in Spain: Prevalence and Associations With Substance Use, Social Support, and Resilience

Few studies have examined protective factors associated with reduced risk of suicidality among college students. We sought to address gaps in the literature by conducting a cross-sectional survey of 636 college students from a public university in Spain. We assessed substance use, social support, resilience, severity of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Twenty percent of students reported low severity and 27% reported high severity suicidal ideation, while 5% reported attempting suicide during the past year. Higher levels of social support represented a protective factor associated with reduced risk of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.

Substance Use, Family Functionality, and Mental Health among College Students in Spain

Mental health symptoms are overrepresented among college students worldwide. The current research investigates the associations among substance use, family functionality, and mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress) among college students in Spain. A total of 828 (59.2% female and 40.8% male) college students from two public universities completed a self-reported online survey that included items on demographic information, substance use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, prescription sedatives, and recreational sedatives), mental health symptoms (using the DASS-21 questionnaire) and family functionality (using the APGAR questionnaire). College students reporting substance use (especially recreational sedatives) and family dysfunctionality were more likely to exhibit symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. These findings provide support for the underlying role of substance use and family functionality on mental health symptoms. Treatments targeting depression, anxiety, and stress among college students in Spain should aim to reduce substance use by and increase family support of students.

Anxiety levels among social work students during the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain

The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled university students to adapt to remote learning modalities resulting in increased of anxiety symptoms. This study explores levels of anxiety, and risk and protection factors among Social Work students at two universities in southern Spain. Thirty four percent were experiencing severe anxiety, and 28.5% mild to moderate, revealing that anxiety levels had increased significantly. Greater concern about academic situation and future economic scenario, living in an urban area and leave the habitual residence increased anxiety symptoms. By contrast, family income stability and higher social support from relatives reduced anxiety symptoms. These results support the planning of emotional support services for college students, as well as the incorporation in the study plans the acquisition of skills to live better in these conditions.

Perceived social support, resilience and consumption of psychoactive substances amongst inmates in prisons

Objectives

To determine the influence of perceived social support and resilience in the use of alcohol and other drugs amongst female inmates.

Material and method

A cross-sectional study with 174 inmates was conducted in two prisons in the Region of Murcia. A self-administered questionnaire was used, which included socio-demographic, prison, alcohol and other drug consumption, perceived social support and resilience variables.

Results

28.2% of the inmates consumed at least one of the substances analyzed (alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, heroin and/or tranquillizers without medical prescription) in prison. The female consumers showed significantly lower levels of perceived social support and resilience, compared to the counterparts who did not consume in prison.

Discussion

Findings show how perceived social support and resilience are factors of protection against substance use in prison, and these can be incorporated in future prevention programs for the consumption of alcohol and other drugs during imprisonment.

Factors Conditioning Sexual Behavior in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies

The sexual behavior of older adults, especially women, has undergone changes in recent years, though there are still certain stereotypes today related to pathophysiology, beliefs, culture and tradition that negatively affect older adults’ sexual activity. The aim of our review is to present the main qualitative studies analyzing how physiological and psychosocial factors affect sexual behavior in older adults. A systematic review of these qualitative studies was carried out. All stages of this review were carried out peer-to-peer in order to guarantee minimized bias. A bibliographical search was completed between February and April 2019, in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed Medline, PsycINFO ProQuest and CINAHL. To analyze the findings of the selected qualitative studies, a “Thematic Synthesis Analysis” was performed, using Eppi-Reviewer 4 software (UCL Institute of Education, University of London, UK). The quality of the studies was assessed with a CASP-Qualitative-Checklist. A total of 16,608 references were screened and 18 qualitative studies were included in this review. The studies involved 2603 participants across seven countries, most being women (approximately 80%). We identified a wide variety of physiological and psychological factors that can influence the sexual behavior of older adults, such as the presence of pathologies (erectile dysfunction and menopause), the strength of spiritual beliefs, and patriarchal roles upheld by upbringings conveying that women’s role is to provide men with sexual pleasure. Biological age in relation to stereotypical models of sexual behavior, emphasized as a risk factor in the contraction of sexual diseases, seems to play a relevant role as a factor limiting sexual behavior in older adults.

Evaluation of the impact of family relations on prisoners' health in Spain

OBJECTIVES

Literature on this issue has shown a high prevalence of alcohol and other drug use in the prison population. Although many risk factors have been linked to this behavior in prison, it is not common to find research that analyses the influence of family/social contact in prison.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

A cross-sectional study was carried out on 2,709 inmates (2,484 men and 225 women) in 9 prisons in Spain, data was collected through self-report questionnaires, including information at socio-demographic level, family-social contact and use of alcohol and other drugs in the last month in prison.

RESULTS

Inmates with no family contact in prison show a higher prevalence of use for all the substances analyzed, binary logistic regression analysis shows statistically significant associations with the use of cannabis (OR: 1.86, p ≤0.001) or cocaine (OR: 3.40, p ≤0.001) in prison.

DISCUSSION

More knowledge about this public health problem amongst social workers in the prison environment could be an effective diagnostic and preventive tool for reducing the use of alcohol and other drugs during imprisonment.

Female Prisoners in Spain: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Negative Emotional States, and Social Support

A growing body of literature on correctional populations from the past two decades indicates that a significant proportion of prison inmates report experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) during childhood. Extant literature also suggests that women suffer disproportionate victimization at all life stages. The current study examines the prevalence and magnitude of the associations between ACEs, social support, and negative emotional states (that is, anxiety, depression, and stress) among a sample of incarcerated women-a small but growing correctional population. Data were obtained from a survey of women incarcerated in two prisons in Spain (N = 174); survey questions elicited information on these women's emotional, physical, and sexual victimization during childhood in addition to their self-reported levels of social support and mental health. A series of analyses indicated that female inmates who reported ACEs similarly reported lower levels of social support and higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress as compared with nonvictimized women inmates. The findings reported here underscore the importance of attaining a fuller understanding of female inmates' histories of ACEs so that we can more accurately identify and, ideally, provide necessary services to those women at highest risk of mental health-related problems during incarceration.

Psychosocial stressors perceived in the process of social reintegration and compliance time remaining in prison sentence

INTRODUCTION

This study shows the results obtained from evaluating the main psychosocial stressors perceived in the process of social reintegration and their relation to a remaining sentence time in prison.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A questionnaire based on an ad hoc design was administered, using a Likert scale, with a total of 383 inmates serving sentences in southeast Spain.

RESULTS

Findings show that inmates with a remaining sentence period of more than one year, like those who had served more than a year of their sentence, showed greater concern about possible economic difficulties.

CONCLUSIONS

The psychosocial stressors studied might provide relevant information to facilitate the process of social reintegration after the completion of a prison sentence.

[Physical attacks in prison, mental illness as an associated risk factor]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze physical victimization in the prison population, taking into account the existence of some kind of mental illness, in the prison of Albolote (Granada).

METHODS

270 inmates conducted an anonymous and voluntary survey about victimization.

RESULTS

36.7% of all inmates suffered some form of physical victimization in prison. 62.2% of participants consider that they have anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or other mental illness, half of whom receive treatment for these problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Physical attacks on people with mental illness are 2.5 times higher than on those who do not have a mental illness.