Relationship between Cannabis Abuse, Gender and Age with Suicidal Tendency among Prisoners: Correctional Service Inmates

Abstract

Prisoners has long been associated with the vulnerable population at risk of suicide, and there has been significant research to identify associated risk factors in most developed countries but not much in Nigeria especially South-Eastern Nigeria. Hence, the reason for the present study in Enugu, to study the relationship between cannabis abuses, gender, and age with suicidal tendency among prisoners. Two hundred and eight (208) inmates (171 males and 37 females) aged between 20 – 50 years from the Enugu Prison constituted the sample. Two questionnaires: Psychoactive Substance Abuse Questionnaire (Eze, 2006) and Suicidal tendency questionnaire Ozougwu (2006) were used to gather information from the participants and Multiple Linear Regression was employed for the data analyze. The result shows that the relationship between cannabis abuse, gender and age on suicidal tendency are statistically not significant. Also there that neither gender nor age has any significant relationship with suicidal tendency among prison inmates. It is therefore recommended that Nigerian prison service should make sure they organize workshops and training programs for their staff to enable them to do their work effectively. Psychologist working in the prison should constantly schedule group psychotherapy for prison inmates for psycho-education and insight on effects cannabis abuse. The study concludes that even though that the findings of this study indicates that cannabis abuse, gender and age does not have any statistically significant relationship with suicidal tendency among prisoners, more study is required on discovering reasons for suicidal tendency among prisoners. Besides, more effort to education youths and prisoners on the negative impact cannabis abuses on human health: social, economically, psychologically, physically and biologically, irrespective of gender and age.