Background: Evidence regarding the incarceration of women generally indicates significant mental health challenges, particularly elevated depression and reduced self-esteem. However, in the Czech Republic, little research has been undertaken on the birth experiences of women in this population and indeed, more generally there is little research undertaken on this specific group of women.
Methods: A quantitative questionnaire-based cohort study was undertaken in a major women’s prison in the Czech Republic. The Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were administered to participants. Comparisons with normative data using the one-sample t-test, comparison between depression screen positive/negative groups using the independent t-test and correlational analysis was undertaken. A measure of postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder (PP-PTSD) was also administered.
Results: BSS-R sub-scale scores were observed to be either similar or higher than the non-custodial population. High screen positive rates of EPDS-assessed depression were observed and the study cohort was characterised by low RSES-assessed self-esteem. PP-PTSD levels approximated the non-custodial population.
Conclusions: Women in the Czech prison system report levels of birth satisfaction equal or better than non-custodial women. However, the mental health of this group is comparatively impoverished thus presenting a complex relationship between birth experience and mental health during the prison sentence. Limitations of the research is discussed and the direction of future research indicated.