Resilience Among Young Prisoners and Its Associations with PTSD and Alexithymia (WattuIV Database)

Abstract Background Many young prisoners are on a trajectory characterized by adversities and persistent life challenges. It is plausible to assume that altering this developmental course would require long-term psychological endurance and the capacity to adapt and recover - that is, resilience. Yet, to the best of our knowledge, no prior research has examined the resilience of young prisoners. The resilience of non-incarcerated youth has been examined in previous research; however, these findings are not generalizable to the subgroup of young prisoners. Methods The resilience of young prisoners (N = 159, age 18-29) was assessed using the CD-RISC10 instrument. These results were compared with those of a general population youth (N = 1860, age 15-29, based on separate data). Among young prisoners, resilience was analyzed together with alexithymia, PTSD, and criminal record data. Alexithymia and PTSD were measured using the TAS-20 and TSQ instruments. All prisoner data were drawn from the WattuIV dataset. Results The resilience among young prisoners (mean 26.6, SD 7.5) is at significantly lower level than that of the general population (mean 29.7, SD 6.4, p<.001). Low resilience is common among young prisoners (59% of males / 77% of females) and associated with alexithymia (p<.001) and PTSD (p<.001). Furthermore, compared to prisoners over 30 years of age, young prisoners with low resilience are convicted of less severe crimes, suggesting that their offenses may often be linked to survival mechanisms. Among young prisoners, high resilience is rare (9%) and associated with a lack of alexithymia (p=.011). Conclusions Low resilience is common among young prisoners and is associated with long-term mental health problems. Achieving robust resilience should be a key objective in rehabilitation. Beyond reducing individual suffering, strengthening the resilience of young prisoners also promotes community well-being and serves as a cost-effective public health and socio-economic intervention.