Roles of spirituality and religious affiliation in mental health among persons remanded in prison custody

Abstract

This study examined the roles of spirituality and religious affiliation in mental health of a sample of Nigerian adults remanded in prison custody. Participants were 182 men from Nsukka Prison, Enugu State, Nigeria. Age range was 18-50 years (Mean age = 27.70; SD = 7.66 years).Two instruments were administered for data collection, namely: the 14-item Mental Health Index, and the 12-item Spiritual Valence Scale (SVS). Participants indicated their religious affiliation as either Catholics or Protestants. The research utilized cross-sectional design and linear regression was used for data analysis for the role of spirituality in mental health, whereas one-way analysis of variance was used to compare the mental health of Catholics and Protestants. It was found that spirituality positively predicted mental health. Catholics and Protestants did not differ in their mental health. Implications of the findings highlighted the need for psychotherapists and counselors to facilitate mature spirituality among their clientele in order to enhance their mental health status.