Socio-Demographic Determinants of Mental Health Problems among Offenders in Oromiya Regional State, Ethiopia

The main purpose of this study was to examine the association between socio-demographic variables and mental health problems on 357 offenders out of which 306 (86%) males and 51 (14%) females found in Oromiya Regional state, Horro-Guduru Wallaga Correctional Center, western Ethiopia with an age range of 19-65 with a mean age of 33.01+11.15 SD. General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was used to examine offenders' mental health status. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics via mean and standard deviations, and inferential via t- test and one-way ANOVA. 84% of inmates were affected by mental health problems, mostly belonging to the age group of 31-45 years. Male offenders were more affected (89%) than females (80%). Education and term of the sentence were found to have significant effects on mental health problems.