Magnitude of Depression and Its Associated Factors Among Prisoners in Arba Minch and Jinka Town, Southern Ethiopia

INTRODUCTION: Globally, there is a rapid increase in the prison population, and one out of nine prisoners suffers from common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. However, there is a limitation of study on the magnitude of depression and its associated factors among prisoners in low- and middle-income countries including Ethiopia. PURPOSE: To assess the magnitude of depression and its associated factors among prisoners in Arba Minch and Jinka Town, Southern Ethiopia, 2021. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 650 selected prisoners in Arba Minch and Jinka Town. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data was collected using an open data kit and then exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis with a p-value <0.05 with a 95% confidence level was used to declare statistical significance. RESULTS: The magnitude of depression among the prisoners was 445 (72.0%) (95% CI: 68–76%). Age ≥48 years (AOR = 3.09 95% CI 1.16–8.28), being an urban resident (AOR = 2.21 95% CI 1.39–3.49), using smokeless tobacco (AOR = 2.80 95% CI 1.50–5.22), not doing physical exercise (AOR = 2.42 95% CI 1.54–3.81), and lack of income generating job in the prison (AOR = 1.89 95% CI 1.19–3.04) were significantly associated with depression. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of depression among prisoners was high. Age ≥48, urban residence, using smokeless tobacco, not doing physical exercise, and lack of income-generating job in prison were significantly associated with depression. Giving special attention and being supportive to older age, prohibiting the use of smokeless tobacco; facilitating places and materials for physical exercise and creating income generating opportunities by using prisoner’s skills and available resources, giving training for the health professionals working in the prison about diagnosis and treatment of depression, additionally giving training for the prisoners how to cope up with prison life may decrease the magnitude of depression among prisoners.