Male prisoners’ experiences of psychological formulation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring male prisoners’ experience of being involved in developing and using their psychological formulation within a personality disorder service
IRAS ID
180050
Contact name
Gemma Foat-Smith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 28 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
The study aims to explore male prisoners’ experience of being involved in developing and using their psychological formulation within a new personality disorder service, The Beacon.The Beacon is a new service in support of prisoners with significant difficulties, distress and offending behaviour associated with a diagnosis of personality disorder. The Beacon, which is part of the new personality disorder pathway initiative for the North of England, is a joint venture between Mersey Care NHS Trust and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) at HMP Garth.
Using semi-structured interviews the study aims to explore prisoners’ views of how psychological understanding has been incorporated into their care and understand how this has impacted their treatment, if at all.
The study will conduct the research within a novel service and as such the findings have implications for the development of the service to ensure it is providing a beneficial service to the prisoners. This is also relevant to the public as if effective, this service is likely to enhance the well-being of prisoners and thus aims to reduce the risk posed by prisoners following release from prison.
The study will be conducted at one site: The Beacon at HMP Garth. HMP Garth is a Category B prison. All prisoners who are a resident of the Beacon service are eligible to take part in the study.
The study will last until February 2016. It is anticipated that each participant will engage in one semi-structured interview.
Summary of Resiults
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 14 women. The participants’ views were analysed thematically and grouped into four themes: 1) perceptions of a healthy lifestyle; 2) construing a healthy weight; 3) configuring a useful programme; and 4) the importance of will(power). Perceptions of a healthy lifestyle centred around physical activity and dietary behaviours that facilitate wellbeing. Women regarded appearance, feelings and the opinions of others as more important than quantitative indicators for construing a healthy weight. The idea of a healthy lifestyles programme was acceptable and appealing. Participants expressed the need for a point of contact and a remotely accessible intervention that promotes a positive sense of mental and physical wellbeing. The provision of healthy recipes and information explaining the link between lifestyle choices and breast cancer were perceived to facilitate behaviour change and encourage adherence to personal goals set as part of a healthy lifestyles programme. Increased muscle mass was regarded as a likely and acceptable outcome of a programme that encourages physical activity. Participants recognised that the effort of will required to commit to a programme is affected by various factors, including time, money and readiness to change.The study concluded that future research should examine whether the women’s expressed acceptability translates into actual acceptability of a healthy lifestyles programme that is developed in accordance with the present findings.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0743
Date of REC Opinion
9 Oct 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion