The prevalence of violence and relation to depression and illicit drug use among incarcerated women in Recife, Brazil

Purpose ess the prevalence and different types of violence experienced by women prisoners in Brazil and the effects of violence on womenʹs depression and illicit drug use. s ipants (N = 377) were incarcerated women from a state prison in a northeastern city of Brazil. Multivariate logistic regression models (adjusted for age, education, partner status, prison history, drug related offense, and sentencing status) were used to assess associations between each type of violence (physical abuse, sexual abuse, and life threats) and each outcome variable: recent depression and illicit drug use. s jority of participants (87%) reported experiencing some type of violence in their lifetime, including physical violence (83%), sexual victimization (36%), and threats on their life (29%.) Sexual violence was significantly related to both recent depression (Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.8; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.4–5.3) and recent substance use (OR = 2.7; 95% CI = 1.6–4.4) in adjusted models. Experiences of life threats were also significantly associated with illicit drug use (OR = 2.2; 95% CI: 1.3–3.7), as was physical violence (OR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.2–4.9); however, neither of these latter two violence variables were significantly associated with depression. sion s of lifetime violence victimization among this incarcerated sample of women were extremely prevalent and relevant to womenʹs depression and illicit drug use. Prison efforts to address womenʹs depression and illicit drug use may be most effective by incorporating aspects related to womenʹs history of victimization, especially given the high rates of violence experienced by women in this sample.