Title: Determinants Of Mental Health Of Awaiting Trial Inmates In Oyo State Correctional Centres
Authors: Dorcas Odunayo Oladosu, Solomon Adekunle Odedokun
Volume: 10
Issue: 5
Pages: 14-22
Publication Date: 2026/05/28
Abstract:
Mental health represents a critical yet often overlooked topic within criminal justice system especially among the inmates.. Unlike convicted prisoners, awaiting-trial detainees face profound uncertainty about their legal fate, often compounded by prolonged incarceration and adverse prison conditions that badly impact their well-being. When inmates are faced with mental challenges it could lead to emotional trauma, depression suicide thought and even suicide. This study, therefore, examined the correlates of psychological and environmental factors (social support, prison climate, quality of life, religiosity, and prison resilience) on the mental health of awaiting-trial inmates in Oyo State Correctional Centers. Grounded in the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and Social Support Theory. The research employed a descriptive correlational design with 300 awaiting-trial inmates randomly selected from Agodi and Abolongo correctional centers, using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using 6 validated questionnaires namely: the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Prison Climate Survey, OPQOL-Brief, Religious Orientation Test (ROT), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). Research questions were raised and answered using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that social support (r = 0.317, p < 0.05), prison climate (r = 0.377, p < 0.05), and prison resilience (r = 0.176, p < 0.05) showed positive and significant relationships with mental health, while quality of life (r = -0.281, p < 0.05) and religiosity (r = -0.310, p < 0.05) demonstrated negative but significant relationships. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the independent variables collectively explained for 28.5% variance in mental health of the inmates (Rē = .285, F = 23.412, p < 0.05), confirming their composite contribution. Based on these findings, the study recommends that correctional authorities should institutionalize well -structured social support programs, enhance prison climate through proper training of staff and procedural fairness, improve inmates' quality of life and implement resilience-building workshops to promote mental health of the awaiting-trial inmates in the correctional centres