Facilitators and barriers to prison mental health care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Identifying facilitators and barriers to the provision of mental health care in prison and the criminal justice sector - a qualitative critical case decision making inquiry.
IRAS ID
289378
Contact name
Andrew Shepherd
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 2 days
Research summary
Prison represents a highly complex and traumatic environment and is characterised by high rates of mental disorder amongst the incarcerated population. Despite the implementation of complex healthcare team working significant numbers of prisoners have long been recognised as experiencing delays in hospital transfers or being lost to appropriate mental health support and follow up.
The pathway from criminal act to prison incarceration is convoluted and mental health professionals may be called upon at various points in the process to offer advice, or potential diversion of an individual into an alternative placement. With numerous points of interface and transition between the general community and prison environments it is possible for individuals to become “lost”, or for the necessary flow of information in relation to their support needs to be interrupted. Other agents and professionals may also become involved in this process – for example, legal representatives may seek mental health advice in relation to their client’s well being or to inform legal proceedings.
This qualitative study, involving a series of interviews with key professional informants, represents the final arm of a service development project that seeks to consider the provision of prison based mental healthcare as a complex system and to identify points of friction or ease of movement where lessons can be learnt to improve ongoing care provision.
REC name
N/A
REC reference
N/A