Women's experiences of group DBT in a forensic setting
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experiences of impulsivity and self-harm for women in a forensic setting engaged in the group based skills component of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.
IRAS ID
155447
Contact name
Anna C Whalen
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Leeds University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 21 days
Research summary
The prevalence of mental health problems within forensic populations has been estimated to be over three times that of the general population. Of particular concern are the high levels of Self-Harm (SH) with half of all SH incidents in forensic settings being carried out by women despite the fact they make up only 6% of the population. Although the full programme of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) can be effective in reducing SH in outpatient settings, implementation of a full package of DBT in forensic settings faces practical barriers. Therefore modified versions have been implemented, such as delivering only some components of the DBT programme. For example, Dialectical behaviour group based skills training (GBST) aims to address deficits in mindfulness and target impulsivity, which has been associated with SH. The results of such programmes are mixed with some showing deterioration in service user's symptoms. Research in this area has primarily focused on treatment outcomes and has not explored experiences of GBST. This important additional information may contribute to our theoretical understanding of SH and impulsivity which can contribute to the future development of DBT within this population.
The proposed research aims to explore the experiences of impulsivity and self-harm for women in a forensic setting engaged in the group based skills component of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Participants will be recruited from Waterloo Manor, a specialised inpatient service for women with complex problems who are at risk of, or who have offended and are detained under the Mental Health Act. To support ethical practice a cooperative enquiry method, including discussion groups, will be adopted to enable participants to contribute to the design of the study. Interviews will be conducted to explore participants experiences of GBST and the data collated will be analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NW/1349
Date of REC Opinion
9 Dec 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion