Abstract

VILARINO, Manuel; AMADO, Barbara G; FERNANDES, Elsa  and  ARCE, Ramón. Psychological adjustment and problem-solving skills in convicted by murder or attempted murder. Acción psicol. [online]. 2017, vol.14, n.2, pp.129-146.  Epub Sep 11, 2023. ISSN 2255-1271.  https://dx.doi.org/10.5944/ap.14.2.20792.

With the aim of knowing about psychological adjustment (clinical symptomatology and diagnosis) and problem-solving skills (coping) in a homicide prison inmate population, a study to contrast sentenced murderers or attempted murderers with the normative population was conducted. Participated in the research, 27 male prison inmates at the Prison of Oporto (Portugal) with an age average of 38.63. Psychological adjustment and coping strategies were measured with the SCL-90-R checklist and the CRI-A questionnaire, respectively. The results exhibited that prison inmates showed a higher probability of being classified as clinical cases in most of the SCL-90-R dimensions (except in Hostility), as well as significantly higher scores in almost all of them (with the exception of Hostility and Phobic Anxiety), an in the global indexes (i.e., GSI, PST, PSDI). Furthermore, prison inmates were characterized by using avoidance coping strategies, which are considered such as maladaptive or unproductive. Likewise, the results from the crimino-logical characteristics of the inmates have revealed that homicides had a previous relationship with the victim, criminal versatility and a recidivism trend. Implications of the results for professional practice in penitentiary setting are discussed.

Keywords : Psychological adjustment; Clinical symptoms; Problem solving skills; Coping; Murder; Prison inmates.

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