Perceived Abuse and Disability in a Sample of Ohio's Women's Correctional Population

Abstract

The Abuse Disability Questionnaire was administered to 435 female inmates at a state prison in Ohio. Analysis indicated that 69% of the women reported some type of past physical, sexual, or psychological abuse, which is consistent with other reports for state prisons. Both the amount of abuse reported as well as the extent of associated psychological impairment was less in comparison to scores for women in domestic violence shelters. While all women in the prison were screened, those who met criteria for psychiatric diagnoses had significantly higher Abuse Disability Questionnaire scores than those who were not so diagnosed by a mental health professional. As in prior studies with the questionnaire, a significant relation between reported exposure to prior abuse and perceived impairment was found.