Prisoners perceptions of a mental health wellness workshop

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-03-2016-0008
• Date: 12 June 2017
• Published date: 12 June 2017
• Pages: 81-90
• Author: Brian Keogh,Padraig McBennett,Jan deVries,Agnes Higgins,Marie O’Shea,Louise Doyle
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Prisoner health,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice

Prisoners perceptions of a mental

health wellness workshop

Brian Keogh, Padraig McBennett, Jan deVries, Agnes Higgins, Marie O’Shea and

Louise Doyle

Abstract

Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to report on the evaluation of a one-day mental health wellness

workshop which was delivered to male prisoners in an urban prison in the Republic of Ireland.

Design/methodology/approach –A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the workshop.

This paper presents the findings of the qualitative arm of the evaluation. Qualitative data were collected using

semi-structured telephone interviews with ten participants who had completed the programme.

Findings –The participants were overwhelmingly positive about the wellness workshop and the qualitative

interviews articulated the ways that the workshop impacted on their ability to manage their own and other

peoples mental health.

Originality/value –As prisons attempt to limit the negative impact of prison life, implementing recovery

orientated approaches such as the wellness workshop can have a positive impact on prisoners’mental

health as well as raising their awareness and improving their attitudes towards mental distress and suicide.

The concepts of self-help and peer support, espoused by the workshop offer a real opportunity to equip

interested prisoners with skills to support themselves and other prisoners who are in distress.

Keywords Evaluation, Qualitative research, Wellness, Recovery, Mental health promotion,

Prisoners mental health

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

Research findings have consistently shown that prisoners are vulnerable to developing mental health

problems given the significant stressors associated with detention such as separation from family,

overcrowding, lack of privacy, boredom, poor mental stimulation, long periods spent alone and fear

of assault (Appelbaum et al., 2001; Birmingham, 2003; Nurse et al., 2003; Fraser et al., 2009;

Santora et al., 2014). In addition, prisoners who have pre-existing mental health problems prior to

detention are vulnerable to deteriorations in their mental health especially in those who have poorer

coping skills (Appelbaum et al., 2001; Birmingham, 2003). While there appears to be a direct link

between serious mental illness and offending for a small number of people, other factors such as

substance abuse and poor social supports may exacerbate risk factors (MacPhail and

Verdun-Jones, 2013). Helping prisoners to manage their health as well as learning alternative

thinking and behaviours has been advocated as one way of breaking the cycle of release and

subsequent re-offense (Santora et al., 2014). However, despite the high levels of mental distress

within the prisoner population and their known vulnerability, there is inadequate service provision to

meet demand and what services are available are under-resourced (Nurse et al., 2003;

Kupers, 2005). Prisoners need to be equipped with strategies to manage their mental health which

not only assists their adaptation to prison stress, but supports positive approaches to successful

reintegration on release (Fraser et al., 2009; Santora et al., 2014). The aim of this paper is to report on

the evaluation of a mental health wellness workshop which aimed to help participants understand

and take responsibility for their mental health. The workshop was delivered to male prisoners in one

urban prison in the Republic of Ireland by a voluntary organisation called “Suicide or Survive”(SOS).

This paper will focus on the qualitative findings of the evaluation.

Received 21 March 2016

Revised 29 June 2016

6 October 2016

Accepted 7 October 2016

This evaluation was funded by a

grant from Suicide or Survive and

the National Office for Suicide

Prevention, Ireland. The authors

declare no conflict of interests.

Brian Keogh is an Assistant

Professor in Mental Health

Nursing, Padraig McBennett

is a Clinical Tutor in Mental

Health, Jan deVries is a

Psychology Subject Leader

and Agnes Higgins is a

Professor in Mental Health,

all at the School of Nursing and

Midwifery, Trinity College,

University of Dublin, Dublin,

Ireland.

Marie O’Shea is a Researcher

at Irish College of General

Practitioners, Dublin, Ireland.

Louise Doyle is an Assistant

Professor in Mental Health

Nursing at the School of

Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity

College, University of Dublin,

Dublin, Ireland.

DOI 10.1108/IJPH-03-2016-0008 VOL. 13 NO. 2 2017, pp. 81-90, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1744-9200

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