Nigerian prisoners' experience: prison circumstances, family support and sleep quality.

PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the association between prison circumstances, perceived family support and sleep quality among male inmates at the Ibara prison, Ogun State. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: It was a cross-sectional study of 300 male inmates interviewed with socio-demographic proforma and Pittsburgh sleep quality index. FINDINGS: While all respondents described the prison as being overcrowded, half of them used inappropriate sleeping materials daily and 41.4% decried a very noisy environment at night. Twenty-seven percent of the respondents described poor family support while 47.3% experienced poor sleep quality. Though nature of sleeping material and self-awareness of sleep problem were associated with poor sleep quality, no predictor of the latter was identified. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The study was conducted among males only because of the relative dominance of the male gender in the prison population. This makes analysis of gender difference impossible. Furthermore, sleep studies may be preferred over reports by some sleep experts. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Findings from this study may culminate in taking steps to improve the Nigerian prison conditions as well as the prisoner's welfare. SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Developing support group for relatives of inmates may be a focus of social intervention for these inmates. Also, inmates with good sleep quality are likely to partake effectively in the prison reformation programmes and may not self-medicate with sedatives. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study provides a scholarly documentation of the state of Nigerian prisons; inmates' perception of family support; prevalence and correlates of poor sleep quality among a group of male inmates.

Insomnia and quality of life of prisoners at a Nigerian maximum-security prison.

PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the prevalence of insomnia as well as its association with the quality of life of the inmates in a Nigerian prison. Prisoners are a disadvantaged group of people whose needs are often unmet. Many authors have focussed on investigating the prevalence and pattern of psychiatric morbidity, as well as substance use among prisoners. However, sleep disorders, which can predispose or precipitate psychiatric disorders, have been largely neglected in research. The relationship between insomnia and quality of life (QoL) among the general population has been documented but similar investigations have yet to be conducted among the prisoner population. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This was a cross-sectional study with 300 male prisoners at the Ibara prison, Abeokuta, Nigeria who were not diagnosed with depressive, generalized anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorders. Each respondent was interviewed with a sociodemographic proforma, Insomnia module of the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry and the brief World Health Organisation Quality of Life questionnaire. FINDINGS: About half of the respondents (45.7%) met diagnostic criteria for insomnia. A diagnosis of insomnia and some sleep-related variables were significantly associated with QoL. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: All the possible correlates of insomnia could not be investigated. Further research should be conducted to identify more correlates and investigate the impact of insomnia on prisoners' lives. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Improvement of prison climate (relationships in prison, safety and order, contact with the outside world, facilities, meaningful activities and autonomy) may mitigate insomnia among prisoners. Prison psychiatry in Nigerian correctional centres should be made a priority. SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The findings have brought to light the need to address the current social welfare system in place for Nigerian correctional centres. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study provided information on the prevalence of insomnia and poor QoL among prisoners in a Nigerian correctional facility.

Convergent Validity of Self-Administered Addiction Severity Index in a Sample of Nigerian Patients in a Residential Treatment Facility.

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders present with multiple drug-related problems that need to be evaluated with a view to planning and administering holistic interventions that could potentially improve addiction treatment outcomes. Many valid instruments are available for assessing the problems that occur in addiction but most of them require some training and they take a lot of time to administer. This study validates a shorter self-administered version of the Addiction severity Index (ASI) against the Clinician-administered ASI with a view to cutting the time needed to administer the instrument. METHODS: The study recruited 142 patients in a residential treatment center. Correlation coefficient and t-test were used to assess for the convergence of the two version. RESULTS: The correlation coefficients ranged from 0.52 to 0.97 for the different domain of the ASI with higher endorsement of problems in the self-administered than clinician administered version in most domains. CONCLUSION: The self-administered ASI is a valid alternative to the clinician-administered ASI and it saves valuable time especially in resource-constrained settings.

A 10-year descriptive study of electroconvulsive therapy at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta.

OBJECTIVES: Evidence supports the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in current practice, and good quality of care is related to adherence to evidence-based guidelines. However, there are no guidelines for the practice of ECT in Nigeria and there is no regulatory body for its standards. The objective of this study therefore was to examine the practice of ECT between 2001 and 2010 at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, regarding consent procedures, staffing, training, indications, and administration with the goal of informing the development of guidelines locally. METHODS: Data were extracted from 154 complete ECT treatment records in the register and from the patients' case files. The data were qualitatively analyzed and described. RESULTS: The mean age of patients who received ECT was 35.5 years and the majority were female. Bilateral electrode placement was invariable for all treatments. The major diagnosis of the patients receiving ECT was schizophrenia, whereas poor response to medication and psychomotor retardation were commonly stated indications. Treatments were largely unmodified during the first 3 years of the review, with a gradual reversal of this pattern in the latter years. The mean number of treatments per patient was 6.6, and only 1 patient received continuation ECT. CONCLUSIONS: Although the procedure of ECT in this center is generally similar to what is obtained in many other countries in Asia and Africa, aspects such as that of informed consent require attention. Regular audits of the practice are desirable.