Exploring Norwegian prison frontline workers’ perceptions of interprofessional collaboration – a pilot study

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-08-2021-0084
• Published date: 15 December 2021
• Date: 15 December 2021
• Pages: 429-442
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Prisoner health,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice
• Author: Bjørn Kjetil Larsen,Sarah Hean,Atle Ødegård

Exploring Norwegian prison frontline

workers’perceptions of interprofessional

collaboration –a pilot study

Bjørn Kjetil Larsen, Sarah Hean and Atle Ødegård

Abstract

Purpose –Interprofessional collaboration is necessary for handling the complex psychosocial needs of

prisoners. This collaboration must be addressed to avoid high recidivism rates and the human and societal costs

linked to them. Challenges are exacerbated by a linear approach to handling prisoners’ problems, silo working

between welfare agencies and professional boundaries between frontline workers. There are few adequate

theoretical frameworks and tools to address these challenges in the prison context. The purpose of this study is

to explore the perceptions that frontline staff working in Norwegian prison facilities have regarding

interprofessional collaboration in providing mental health services for prisoners.

Design/methodology/approach –This study had a non-experimental, cross-sectional design to

explore perceptions of interprofessional collaboration in a prison context.Descriptive and multifactorial

analyses(exploratory factor analysis and confirmatoryfactor analysis) were usedto explore the data.

Findings –The analysis showed thatthree factors, communication, organizational cultureand domain,

explained 95% of the variance. Results are discussed using relational coordination, as well as the

conceptualPINCOM model, as a theoretical framework.

Originality/value –Few studies explicitly explorecollaboration between professionals in mental health

and prison services despiteits being a prerequisite to achieving sufficient services for prisoners.To our

knowledge, this currentstudy is one of the first in Norway to explore collaboration in a prison context by

analysingquantitative data and focusing on frontlineworkers perception of the phenomenon.

Keywords Interprofessional collaboration, Norwegian prisons, Relational coordination, PINCOM-Q,

Frontline workers

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

Welfare issues and comorbidity are overrepresented amongst prisoners, and recidivism

rates remain unacceptably high (Cepedaet al.,2015;Chikadzi, 2017;Fazel and Wolf, 2015;

Friestad and Kjelsberg, 2009;Larsen et al.,2019; Schinkel, 2014). Handling prisoners’

complex psychosocial needs spans multiple organizational and professional boundaries.

Prisoners¨ needs are, therefore, often viewed as wicked problems. Rittel and Webber

(1973) brought the theory of wicked problems to light and described them as characterized

by the responsibility for actions being spread across several disciplines and welfare

services, with no clear-cut solutions: in addition, any solutions are not right or wrong but

either good or bad (Conklin, 2006;Hansen, 2015;Ulfrstad, 2011). Finding solutions callsfor

extensive collaboration between welfare services during the process of reintegrating

offenders after prison. Therefore, interprofessional collaboration is a necessity to provide

sufficient quality in welfare services to prisoners (Denton, 2014;Friestad and Kjelsberg,

2009;Gisler et al., 2018;Helgesen, 2019;Larsen et al.,2019;Larsen et al.,2021;Larsen

and Hean, 2021).

Bjørn Kjetil Larsen is based

at Molde University

College, Molde, Norway

and Volda University

College, Volda, Norway.

Sarah Hean is based at

University of Stavanger,

Stavanger, Norway and

Bournemouth University,

Poole, UK.

Atle Ødega

˚rd is based at

Molde University College,

Molde, Norway and

Nordland Research

Institute, Bodø, Norway.

Received 19 August 2021

Revised 19 November 2021

23 November 2021

Accepted 23 November 2021

The authors would like to thank

professor emeritus, Petter

Laake, for his essential

contribution on this manuscript.

It is much appreciated.

DOI 10.1108/IJPH-08-2021-0084 VOL. 18 NO. 4 2022,pp. 429-442, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1744-9200 jINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRISONER HEALTH jPAGE 429