OBJECTIVE: Religion seems to have an important role in the life of incarcerated people. It is possible that mental health and rehabilitation are improved through religious processes. Until now, in Brazil, few studies addressed factors related to mental health in incarcerated women, especially concerning cultural variables such as religion and religiosity. The objective of this study was to verify the mental health profile and the relation between religion and the prevalence of possible mental disorders in a sample of incarcerated women from São Paulo (SP), Brazil. METHODS: Three hundred fifty-eight women were interviewed in Penitenciária Feminina da Capital. A questionnaire was used which included demographic, sociocultural, religious (present and before jailing), mental health and crime profile data. For screening possible psychiatric disorders the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used. Descriptive and bivaried statistics analysis was accomplished comparing independent variables with the GHQ-12 scores. Multivariable regression logistic analysis was used to identify variables that would possibly interact with GHQ-12 scores. RESULTS: Mean age of the sample was 30.7 ± 8.5 years. The overall prevalence for possible psychiatric case was 26.6%. CONCLUSIONS: A higher level of personal religiosity was associated to lower prevalence of possible mental disorders. Associations between crime type and mental health were not found.
woman; prison; mental health; religion
