Development and validation of a peer support programme for the prisoners with mental and substance use disorders in India

Thekkumkara, Sreekanth Nair; Jagannathan, Aarti; Muliyala, Krishna Prasad; Murthy, Pratima

doi:10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_416_21

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…In the meantime, ways of tackling the human resource problem include training police and prison officers to use simple‐to‐administer and appropriately validated screening tools to identify at‐risk populations for treatment or diversion and the setting up of a functional forensic psychiatric service as well as court/prison‐liaison psychiatric service. It may be that peer support could also be explored (Thekkumkara et al., 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among sentenced prisoners in a medium security prison in Ghana: Implications for mental health assessment and service

Donnir,

Asare‐Doku

2023

Criminal Behav Ment Health

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BackgroundExtant literature has shown that there is a higher prevalence of mental disorders among prisoners compared to the general population. These findings have, however, mostly been from high‐income and westernised cultures. In Ghana, little is known about the extent of psychiatric disorders among prisoners, as is consistent with the dearth of scholarly work in low and middle‐income countries.AimsOur aim was to determine the prevalence of common mental disorders among sentenced prisoners in the second largest prison in Ghana.MethodsA cross‐sectional survey research design was used in one prison. The Mini International Neuro‐Psychiatric Interview questionnaire was used to collect data from men and women serving prison sentences who volunteered for the study. Socio‐demographic characteristics and criminal history data were collected using a questionnaire designed by the researchers.ResultsFive hundred prisoners participated. Nearly half (246, 49.8%) had at least one psychiatric disorder. The most prevalent disorders were major depression and a range of anxiety disorders (145, 29%, 132, 26% respectively). A smaller proportion recorded high scores on the antisocial personality disorder scale (13%); just 50 (10%) reported using substances in the 12 months before interview, but this is a minimum estimate of such problems as many were already in prison during that time. None of these prisoners, regardless of disorder, had been screened, diagnosed, or treated in prison.ConclusionsThis study contributes to the gap in scholarly literature in low‐ and middle‐income countries on psychiatric disorders in the prison population. It will be important to explore further the extent to which the internationally recognised screening tools used led to under‐estimation of psychiatric disorders. The findings are of immediate practical importance nationally as they highlight the need to implement reforms anticipated by the new mental health legislation of 2012 and strategies for interagency working to improve health services and their uptake in the criminal justice system.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among sentenced prisoners in a medium security prison in Ghana: Implications for mental health assessment and service

Donnir,

Asare‐Doku

2023

Criminal Behav Ment Health

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The 35 selected participants were provided with training in identifying prisoners with common mental and substance use disorders and suicidality, basic peer support and counselling (Thekkumkara et al., 2022a). Training materials developed for this include descriptions of disorders, screening process and management plans with case illustrations (Thekkumkara et al., 2022a). The training's explicit aim was for the peers to change the knowledge and attitude of prisoners towards mental disorder and substance use, give them training in basic counselling skills and train them to become a peer supporter in prison.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility testing of a peer support programme for prisoners with common mental disorders and substance use

Thekkumkara

Jagannathan

Muliyala

et al. 2023

Criminal Behav Ment Health

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Background The prevalence of mental disorders and substance use among prisoners is high. Convicted prisoners of ‘good behaviour’ can be part of a peer support system in prisons. Aim To evaluate the feasibility of a peer support programme for prisoners with common mental disorders and substance use in prison. Method The study used a mixed method research design, with a quasi‐experimental approach (single group pre‐post without control). It was conducted in two phases: Phase I. Thirty‐five peers/convicted prisoners were recruited through advertisements on the prisoners' community radio station. Volunteers with good behaviour reports were given training over 5 days to recognise mental and substance use disorders and provide basic peer support in prison; their attitudes and knowledge were tested before and after the training. Phase II. Feasibility of the peer support programme was tested by (i) recording the number of cases identified and referred, (ii) pre‐ and post‐evaluation of well‐being, coping, and symptom severity of those supported and (iii) evaluating qualitatively the experience of the peer supporters and service users. Results Thirty‐five peer supporters identified 49 cases over 3 months. These cases showed significant improvement in well‐being (Z −1.962; p < 0.050) and reduction in symptom severity (Z −1.913; 0.056). There was a significant improvement in the peers supporters' self‐esteem from pre‐ to post‐training (t −3.31; p < 0.002), improvement in their benevolence (t −4.37; p < 0.001) and a significant reduction in their negative attitudes to mental illness (Z −3.518; p < 0.001). A thematic model of peer support encompassed self‐experienced benefits for the peer supporter, wider recognition of peer supporters in the prison, challenges to this kind of support, experience of training and visions for future work. Conclusion The peer support programme was experienced positively by the peer‐supporters and supported. Common mental disorders, substance use and suicidality were recognised and appropriately referred. A full‐scale evaluation of this promising programme is warranted.

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“…Alongside these additional pains of imprisonment, efforts to continue to offer high-quality support to prisoners were also affected. Perhaps, this brings us closer to understanding how much less well-resourced countries manage limited access to clinical care and the resourcefulness that may follow in engaging prisoner-peer workers (Thekkumkara et al, 2023). Research is an essential aspect of progress in this regard, but, under COVID-19, research teams were also experiencing unpredictable and unfamiliar constraints.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within this editorial, we set out the experiences of our own research team and the significant contingencies that were necessarily developed in response to these. Like Thekkumkara et al (2023), we had to be innovative in the face of resourcing difficulties, and our research included prisoner-peer work. In the Prevention of Suicide Behaviour in Prison: Enhancing Access to Therapy (PROS-PECT) study, however, we had the added advantage of strong lived experience peer partnership in the research team.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Conducting prison‐based research during the COVID‐19 pandemic and the value of involving people with lived experience

Pratt

Crook

2023

Criminal Behav Ment Health

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Development and validation of a peer support programme for the prisoners with mental and substance use disorders in India

Cited by 6 publications

References 19 publications

Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among sentenced prisoners in a medium security prison in Ghana: Implications for mental health assessment and service

Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among sentenced prisoners in a medium security prison in Ghana: Implications for mental health assessment and service

Feasibility testing of a peer support programme for prisoners with common mental disorders and substance use

Conducting prison‐based research during the COVID‐19 pandemic and the value of involving people with lived experience

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