Self-harm and the prison environment (SHAPE): qualitative study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Self-harm and the prison environment (SHAPE): A study using interviews and focus groups to explore the main prison environment factors relevant to self-harm amongst imprisoned men, from the perspectives of patients, prison staff, healthcare staff and field researchers.
IRAS ID
294385
Contact name
Thomas Stephenson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Self-harm in prisons is a major public health issue and significant risk factor for subsequent suicide. Existing research has identified a role for aspects of the prison environment such as the prison regime, unstable environment and relationships with staff on various mental health outcomes in prisons. However, the full range of environmental factors relevant to self-harm behaviour remains unclear.
We want to use qualitative methods to explore the full range of environmental factors which might be relevant to self-harm behaviour from the perspectives of patients as well as senior prison staff, prison healthcare staff and field researchers. Answering this question could help to inform prison-wide strategies for reducing self-harm and will contribute to further research looking to quantify the effects of environmental factors and predict those at highest risk of self-harm in prison.
We plan to interview 15 men who have self-harmed in prison and conduct three focus groups, one with each professional group.
The study will take place in HMP Wandsworth, a large category B men’s prison in South London. Interviews will take place in a private room on the prison wing. Focus groups will take place at HMP Wandsworth and online.
Men (≥18 years) in HMP Wandsworth with an episode of self-harm during their current period of imprisonment are eligible to participate. Senior prison staff and prison healthcare staff at HMP Wandsworth must have 2 years’ experience working with people who self-harm in prison/secure estate, and field researchers must have conducted research in prison mental health in the past 10 years.
Patients will complete a questionnaire before undergoing a recorded interview (60-75 minutes) within a month of consenting to participate. Other participants will take part in a recorded focus group (120 minutes). The researchers will contact participants up to six months’ afterwards to seek permission for excerpts to be used in study publications.
REC name
London - South East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/LO/0083
Date of REC Opinion
3 Mar 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion