ReviewCriminal behaviour and mental health : CBMH2026
Experiences of Prisoners Living With Mental Health Conditions and Seeking or Receiving Mental Health Support in Prisons: An Integrative Review.
Review in Criminal behaviour and mental health : CBMH, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPrisoners experience poor mental health and well-being in prison, including severe mental illnesses. However, access to mental health support and treatment in prison is limited. We conducted an integrative review to synthesise prisoners' experiences of living with mental ill health and/or seeking or receiving mental health support in prisons.
methodsA systematic search of peer-reviewed empirical studies published from 2014 to 2024 was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Databases searched included Medline, PsycINFO and CINAHL. We included studies of adult prisoners (aged ≥ 18 years) experiencing poor mental health who sought or received help. We were inclusive in our definitions of "poor mental health" and "support" to capture papers where prisoners may not have a formal diagnosis and where support may have been pastoral or delivered by healthcare practitioners.
resultsNineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Four main themes emerged. The first encompassed the range of emotions and feelings experienced, predominantly negative. The second was about the accessibility of mental health services, evidenced not only by limited availability but also by a general lack of support, service providers being described as lacking empathy and coercion to take medication. The third theme was of more internalised barriers to help-seeking, including a sense of stigma and concerns about confidentiality. The fourth theme was about coping strategies, including support from peers, family and religious practices but also maladaptive coping strategies such as self-harm.
conclusionsPrisoners experienced unmet mental health needs. Poor service experiences added to the burden, only partly met through constructive alternatives. Serious, sometimes dangerous maladaptive coping suggests that current access to and suitability of formal healthcare services should be reconsidered within the context of wider methods of pastoral support. Future research on the role of the wider prison community in providing mental health and well-being support is needed.
trial registrationThe protocol for this review is registered on PROSPERO CRD42024581279. Available from https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024581279.
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