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Prevalence and correlates of sleep problems among Chinese prisoners

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of sleep problems in a large prison in China.

Methods

A total of 1491 incarcerated male adults (35.44 ± 9.67 years, range 18–69) were assessed by a self-administered structured questionnaire. Sleep duration, insomnia, sleep quality, substance abuse history, gambling history, traumatic life events, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms were measured. Type of offense, history of incarceration, sentence length, and duration in prison were recorded. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine correlated factors of sleep problems.

Results

Overall, 17.4% (95% CI 15.6–19.5%) slept less than 6 h at night, 35.6% (95% CI 33.2–38.0%) slept 6–7 h, and 47.0% (95% CI 44.5–49.6%) slept 7 h or more. The prevalence rates were 26.2% (95% CI 24.0–28.5%) for insomnia and 45.9% (95% CI 43.4–48.4%) for poor sleep quality. Multiple models showed that older age, being divorced/widowed, poor physical health, long duration in prison, drug use before incarceration, PTSD and depression were associated with short sleep duration; while older age, poor physical health, PTSD, depression, and gambling before incarceration were associated with increased incidence of insomnia, and that being divorced/widowed, poor physical health, PTSD, depression, smoking before incarceration were related to poor sleep quality.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that sleep loss, insomnia, and poor sleep quality are common in prisoners, and that sleep problems are associated with multiple psychosocial factors.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31700987). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Funding

The present study was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no.: 31700987). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Ave, Nanchang, 330022, Jiangxi, China

    Fulei Geng

  2. Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, China

    Jian Wang & Yuan Shao

  3. Shenzhen Women’s Federation, Shenzhen, China

    Chao Wen

  4. Department of General Practice, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Jingguo Wu

  5. School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China

    Fang Fan

Authors
  1. Fulei Geng
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  2. Jian Wang
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  3. Chao Wen
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  4. Yuan Shao
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  5. Jingguo Wu
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  6. Fang Fan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fulei Geng.

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All authors declare no competing financial interest.

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Geng, F., Wang, J., Wen, C. et al. Prevalence and correlates of sleep problems among Chinese prisoners. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 56, 671–678 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01882-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01882-0

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