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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 12:06 pm
Time: 12:06 pm
Results for inmates, mental health
3 results foundAuthor: Power, Jenelle Title: A Qualitative Study of Self-Injurious Behaviour in Women Offenders Summary: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) may be defined as the deliberate destruction of body tissue without suicidal intent and for purposes not socially sanctioned and may include behaviours such as cutting, ligature use, burning, hitting, swallowing sharp or indigestible objects, inserting and removing objects, and head banging. NSSI poses a serious threat to the safety and well-being of offenders and staff within the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). To more effectively treat and prevent NSSI in offenders, a greater understanding of the origins and motivations of NSSI is required. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to analyse the motivations and emotions associated with engaging in NSSI as described by women offenders. Fifty-six federally sentenced women from seven institutions participated in semi-structured interviews that were designed to assess their history of non-suicidal self-injury. Of the 56 women who participated in the study and had a history NSSI, 54 provided at least one reason for engaging in this behaviour. The most common reason provided by the women was to cope with their negative emotions. The second most common reason was to communicate with others about their problems and their need for care. Fifty-two women provided information on the emotions they experience before and after self-injuring. The most common emotions reported prior to engaging in NSSI were anger, depression, and anxiety. After self-injuring, women most commonly reported feelings of relief, followed by feelings of regret. Seventeen participants discussed the relationship between NSSI and substance abuse, despite the fact that substance abuse was not part of the original interview protocol. Ten of these 17 indicated that they were consuming drugs or alcohol while involved in an act of NSSI or that substance abuse increased the frequency of NSSI, while seven of these women reported that substance abuse actually decreased the frequency of NSSI or that they used drugs or alcohol as a substitute for NSSI. The issue of coping strategies or alternatives to NSSI was spontaneously discussed by the participating women in many interviews and, over time, the interviewers began to specifically probe participants about this topic. Twenty-four participants reported that they had begun using coping strategies other than NSSI to help them deal with stress or negative emotions. The most commonly reported coping strategies were appropriate release of emotions, relaxation techniques and distraction techniques such as reading, exercising, and creating artwork. The current study improves the current understanding of NSSI, particularly among federally sentenced women. Since the women most commonly reported engaging in NSSI as a method of coping, interventions could explore methods of teaching alternative copying strategies to a wider population of federally sentenced women. Details: Ottawa: Correctional Services of Canada, Research Branch, 2010. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: No. R-225: Accessed September 3, 2011 at: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r225/r225-eng.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Canada URL: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r225/r225-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 122629 Keywords: Female Inmates (Canada)Female PrisonersInmates, Mental HealthInmates, Self-InjurySelf-Mutilation |
Author: Usher, Amelia Title: Assessment, Intervention and Prevention of Self-Injurious Behaviour in Correctional Environments Summary: Self-injurious behaviour (SIB) is a significant concern for the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) because of the risks it can pose to the safety of staff and offenders within federal correctional institutions. SIB can be defined as any type of direct bodily harm or disfigurement that is deliberately inflicted on oneself that is not considered to be socially acceptable, including cutting, ligature use, burning, hitting, swallowing sharp or indigestible objects, inserting and removing objects, and head banging. To contribute to a safer environment for offenders and staff, CSC must respond to SIB in an effective manner and work towards the reduction and prevention of this behaviour. This literature review was undertaken to determine the best practices for preventing and treating SIB in correctional settings. While it is difficult to predict with certainty which offenders will exhibit SIB while incarcerated, certain factors have been consistently associated with increased risk for SIB. A number of variables such as ethnicity, lower socio-economic background, same-sex attraction, borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, impulsivity, dissociation, and history of childhood trauma have been found to correlate with SIB. CSC’s offender population has high rates of many of these factors and therefore likely have an elevated risk for SIB. SIB, and particularly non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), is a troubling and complex behaviour which presents a challenge for effective treatment. A number of risk assessment tools have the potential for early identification of offenders at risk, but currently no instrument has been proven to be empirically valid in correctional settings. Research indicates that certain interventions can reduce the frequency and severity of this behaviour. Therapeutic treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, and manual assisted cognitive therapy have demonstrated effectiveness for treating SIB in both the community and in correctional settings. Further, certain elements common to these therapies such as creating a positive therapeutic relationship, incident analysis, and cognitive restructuring have been found effective in the literature. These elements can be incorporated into existing correctional programs for improved prevention and treatment of SIB. A number of systemic interventions have also been proposed and are supported in the literature such as suicide awareness training and peer support programs. Correctional staff working closely with self-injuring offenders require additional support in dealing with this behaviour, as it can lead to increased stress and burnout. Evidence in the literature supports increased training for staff and the provision of support services such as critical incident stress debriefing and employee assistance programs. Currently, CSC has implemented a number of policies and initiatives that are in-line with evidence based practices for the treatment and prevention of self-injury. The research examined in this literature review presents a number of options that CSC could continue to develop or adopt to improve current management of SIB. Details: Ottawa: Correctional Service of Canada, Research Branch, 2010. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: No. R-220: Accessed September 3, 2011 at: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r220/r220-eng.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Canada URL: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r220/r220-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 122630 Keywords: Inmates (Canada)Inmates, Mental HealthInmates, Self-InjuryPrisoners (Canada)Prisons, Mental Health ServicesSelf-Mutilation |
Author: Wybron, Deb Title: ACT Women and Prisons - Invisible Bars: The Stories behind the Stats Summary: Australia’s culture of institutionalisation remains today, in the form of prisons, remand centres, youth detention centres, mental health facilities and immigration detention centres to name a few. While this paper focuses mainly on women with lived experience of prison, it argues that prisons cannot be considered in isolation from other institutions and outside the greater context of Australia’s history. The reality is that the majority of Australians in prison today have experienced some form of institutional or out-of-home ‘care’ as young people. There is significant evidence to suggest that institutionalisation has a profoundly negative impact on people’s health and well-being, which continues long after they return to the community. Unsurprisingly, the status of Australian women with lived prison experience is frighteningly poor, with research showing that they are more likely to have mental health issues, drug and alcohol problems and to have experienced physical, emotional and sexual violence than women in the broader community. This paper presents the stories of six ACT (Australian Capital Territory) women with a variety of lived prison experiences. While these courageous women told their stories as part of this project, it is acknowledged that there are many more women, who for a variety of reasons have not yet had the opportunity to do so. Information was also gathered from eight ACT women’s service providers who regularly support women with lived experience of prison and institutionalisation. The experiences of all of these women were recorded, and the content analysed using a technique known as ‘thematic analysis.’ Through this analysis, 12 core themes and 10 sub-themes were identified in the women’s conversations. These themes are discussed and a variety of literature is presented to support and validate the women’s experiences. Following this discussion, a section is dedicated to understanding Australia’s history of institutionalisation and the impacts it has had on women with lived prison experience. The paper concludes with a statement of commitment from the agencies involved, which details how they will work together to move forward in addressing the unmet needs of these women. The information gathered in this paper provides significant insight into the impact that imprisonment and institutionalisation has had on these women’s lives. The Women’s Centre for Health Matters (WCHM) and the ACT Women and Prisons Group (WAP) hope that this information will assist counselors, social workers, case managers and other professionals who support women with lived prison experience to better meet their needs. The paper will also be a useful resource for community groups who want to undertake similar activities that allow other marginalised group to have their stories listened to. Details: Mawson, Australia: Women's Centre for Health Matters, Inc., 2009. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2012 at http://www.wchm.org.au/LiteratureRetrieve.aspx?ID=35769 Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: http://www.wchm.org.au/LiteratureRetrieve.aspx?ID=35769 Shelf Number: 126342 Keywords: Alcohol AbuseDemographic TrendsFemale Inmates (Australia)Female Prisoners (Australia)Inmates, Mental HealthRecidivismSubstance Abuse |