Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence, Substance Use Disorders and Depression among Incarcerated Women in Lima, Perú

Elena Cyrus, Jorge Sanchez, Purnima Madhivanan, Javier R. Lama, Andrea Cornejo Bazo, Javier Valencia, Segundo R. Leon, Manuel Villaran, Panagiotis Vagenas, Michael Sciaudone, David Vu, Makella S. Coudray and Frederick L. Atice
Additional contact information
Elena Cyrus: Department of Population Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando, FL 32827, USA
Jorge Sanchez: Centro de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Biomédicas y Medioambientales, Callao 07006, Peru
Purnima Madhivanan: Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
Javier R. Lama: Asociación Civil Impacta Salud y Educación, Lima 15603, Peru
Andrea Cornejo Bazo: International Degrees Department, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima 15023, Peru
Javier Valencia: Asociación Civil Impacta Salud y Educación, Lima 15603, Peru
Segundo R. Leon: Office of Research and Technology Transfer, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista, Chorrillos 15067, Peru
Manuel Villaran: Asociación Civil Impacta Salud y Educación, Lima 15603, Peru
Panagiotis Vagenas: Berkeley Research Development Office, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Michael Sciaudone: Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
David Vu: Department of Population Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando, FL 32827, USA
Makella S. Coudray: Department of Population Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando, FL 32827, USA
Frederick L. Atice: School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 21, 1-14

Abstract: Background: Globally, there is evidence supporting the co-occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV), substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health disorders among women in prisons, however, there is limited research investigating these domains in the Andean region where rates of female incarceration have increased. The study objective was to explore the prevalence of IPV, SUD and depression among incarcerated women in a Peruvian prison and explore associations among these variables and related correlates. Methods: 249 incarcerated women responded to a questionnaire about IPV, substance use, depression, and sexual behavior, and were screened for HIV/sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Univariate analysis and logistic regression were used to estimate relative risk and the influence of substance use and depression on IPV rates. Results: Twelve months prior to incarceration, of the women with sexual partners pre-incarceration (n = 212), 69.3% experienced threats of violence, 61.4% experienced ?1 acts of physical violence, and 28.3% reported ?1 act of sexual aggression. Pre-incarceration, 68.1% of drug-using women had a SUD, and 61.7% of those who consumed alcohol reported hazardous/harmful drinking. There were 20 (8.0%) HIV/STD cases; and 67.5% of the women reported depressive symptoms. Compared to women with no experiences of physical violence, a greater proportion of women who experienced least l violent act had depressive symptoms and engaged in sex work pre-incarceration. Depression was associated with physical violence (adjusted relative risk = 1.35, 95% confidence interval: 1.14–1.58). Recommendations: The findings provide evidence of a syndemic of IPV, substance abuse and depression among incarcerated women in a Peruvian prison. To help guide policy makers, further research is needed to determine if this is indicative of trends for other at-risk women in the region, and viable options to treat these women during incarceration to prevent recidivism and other long-term negative sequalae.

Keywords: women; incarceration; violence; substance-use; depression; Perú (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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