International journal of prison health最新文献

{"title":"Corrigendum: Mental health vulnerabilities among incarcerated women: correctional professionals' perspectives in Spain.","authors":"","doi":"10.1108/IJOPH-06-2026-0091","DOIUrl":"10.1108/IJOPH-06-2026-0091","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":519936,"journal":{"name":"International journal of prison health","volume":" ","pages":"515"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148371630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pandemic perspectives on mental health and substance use services for people released from custody: a focus on service providers.","authors":"Arthur McLuhan, Shahroze Zafar, Idin Nick Fakhrjahani, Madison Ford, Charles Ozzoude, Sherry Hao, Tenzin C Butsang, Lucas Martinus Seuren, Hodman Abukar, Angela Mashford-Pringle, Flora I Matheson","doi":"10.1108/IJOPH-12-2024-0077","DOIUrl":"10.1108/IJOPH-12-2024-0077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Accessible mental health and substance use services are key supports for people released from custody. The purpose of this paper is to describe the primary changes and challenges to mental health and substance use service provision early in the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada, with a specific focus on people released from custody and the service providers who supported them during this transition.</p><p><strong>Design/methodology/approach: </strong>The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey of service providers who provide mental health and substance use services and support criminal-legal-involved individuals.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Participants reported high levels of disruption to mental health (66.7%, n = 28) and substance use (68.2%, n = 30) services. Open-ended responses illustrated three key themes: how infection prevention and control measures were marked by implementation challenges; how providers responded to widespread service disruptions with local adaptations; and how client needs and barriers to care became increasingly more complex and critical.</p><p><strong>Originality/value: </strong>Although several studies have examined provider perspectives on the challenges of delivering mental health and substance use services during the pandemic, few have focused on service provision to people released from custody. During the early COVID-19 pandemic, service providers confronted a rapidly evolving service landscape that limited their ability to support the mental health and substance use needs of people released from custody. Study results highlight the need for improved emergency discharge planning and coordination of releases.</p>","PeriodicalId":519936,"journal":{"name":"International journal of prison health","volume":" ","pages":"397-412"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147944524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Menstrual health, exposure to violence and mental health among incarcerated women: a mixed-method study of selected prisons in Bangladesh.","authors":"Mst Nurjahan Khatun, Md Ishtiaq Ahmed Talukder, Md Mahfuz Al Mamun, Ruchira Tabassum Naved","doi":"10.1108/IJOPH-08-2025-0067","DOIUrl":"10.1108/IJOPH-08-2025-0067","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This paper aims to investigate some key health issues among incarcerated women in Bangladesh. It seeks to identify the magnitude and nature of menstrual health problems, violence victimization and mental health issues in this population and to explore the prison context and available health infrastructure for addressing these health problems.</p><p><strong>Design/methodology/approach: </strong>The study employs a mixed-method cross-sectional design and covers four purposively selected prisons in Bangladesh. The sample includes incarcerated women aged 18 years and above, who were either convicted or under trial and had been imprisoned for at least eight months (n = 281).</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Menstrual health problems such as pain during menstruation (53%), excessive bleeding (40%) and irregular periods (32%), and inadequate hygiene practices such as changing menstrual absorbent less than three times a day (50%) were widespread among the incarcerated women. Violence in the last six months was highly prevalent in this population with 54% reporting psychological, 21% - physical and 5% - sexual violence. Help-seeking for violence was extremely low (0-12%). The risk of clinical depression was universal (98%) in this sample. Around 7% engaged in self-harm, and 1% attempted suicide during imprisonment. Poor living conditions compounded the overall vulnerability of the women. The prison health care was not equipped to address these problems.</p><p><strong>Research limitations/implications: </strong>The burden of menstrual health problems, violence victimization and mental health issues were disproportionately higher among women living in prisons in Bangladesh.</p><p><strong>Originality/value: </strong>To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is one of the first to document the magnitude and nature of key health problems of women who are living in prisons in Bangladesh. The findings highlight huge service gaps in addressing these problems highlighting the urgent need for prison health reform for women.</p>","PeriodicalId":519936,"journal":{"name":"International journal of prison health","volume":" ","pages":"413-428"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147978390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mental health vulnerabilities among incarcerated women: correctional professionals' perspectives in Spain.","authors":"Diana Rendo-Rodríguez, Maria José Polanco, Carmen Meneses-Falcón","doi":"10.1108/IJOPH-09-2025-0075","DOIUrl":"10.1108/IJOPH-09-2025-0075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Women in prison have been reported to show greater vulnerability to mental health problems when compared to women in the general population or incarcerated men. Despite growing research on prison mental health, fewer studies have examined correctional professionals' perspectives as they relate to the mental health needs and vulnerabilities of incarcerated women. This study aims to analyze correctional professionals' perceptions of the mental health needs and vulnerabilities of incarcerated women in Spain.</p><p><strong>Design/methodology/approach: </strong>A questionnaire to 362 professionals across 32 Spanish correctional institutions examined correctional professionals' perceptions of mental health vulnerabilities, psychiatric symptoms and treatment-related issues affecting incarcerated women.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Correctional professionals identified vulnerability factors affecting incarcerated women's mental health, including a high perceived prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders, excessive demand for medication and insufficient specialized care, particularly in contexts of family disconnection and substance-use disorders.</p><p><strong>Research limitations/implications: </strong>This study relies on professionals' perceptions, which may introduce bias and does not allow the establishment of clinical diagnoses. Its cross-sectional design and the exclusion of regions with transferred healthcare competences limit generalizability. Nevertheless, these constraints highlight the need for future longitudinal and comparative research on women's mental health in prison. Future research should triangulate these findings with clinical data and the perspectives of incarcerated women themselves.</p><p><strong>Originality/value: </strong>This study highlights the perceived need to reform prison healthcare models by incorporating integrated, psychosocial and gender-sensitive approaches. It emphasizes enhancing prison staff training, improving mental health services in prisons and fostering coordination between penitentiary and public healthcare systems to ensure continuity of care.</p>","PeriodicalId":519936,"journal":{"name":"International journal of prison health","volume":" ","pages":"498-514"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148274557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"You don't want to have cancer while you're in prison\": a qualitative study of supporting people with serious illness in prison.","authors":"Emma Gilbert, Tracey Stone, Mary Turner, Lucy Selman","doi":"10.1108/IJOPH-06-2025-0047","DOIUrl":"10.1108/IJOPH-06-2025-0047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to explore the experiences of people in the UK who have supported a person in prison living with a serious illness, including family members, friends and staff working in third-sector prison support organisations. The authors' aim was to uncover systemic barriers to care, understand the challenges families face, highlight examples of good practice and use these insights to inform practical recommendations for improving prison health care and support.</p><p><strong>Design/methodology/approach: </strong>Authors conducted semi-structured interviews in 2023 with 16 participants - 8 family members/friends of PiP and 8 staff from third-sector prison support organisations working across England and Scotland. Transcripts were analysed using Framework Analysis and interpreted in the context of the World Health Organisation's Healthy Settings framework, to illustrate how organisational, environmental, relational and cultural factors shape care for seriously ill people in prison (PiP).</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Participants described resource shortages, poor communication and inflexible institutional rules that could compromise dignity and delay treatment. Families experienced emotional strain over a perceived lack of transparency and accountability. Positive staff efforts and peer support were emphasised, but better multidisciplinary collaboration and family-inclusive policies are needed.</p><p><strong>Originality/value: </strong>This is the first UK study to examine both family and third-sector staff perspectives on supporting seriously ill PiP. By combining lived-experience testimony with practitioner insight, authors outline actionable recommendations for policy and practice change.</p>","PeriodicalId":519936,"journal":{"name":"International journal of prison health","volume":" ","pages":"335-354"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147640804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the perception of dental anxiety among people in prison in France: the DANXIERAL qualitative study.","authors":"Josephine Plaut, Astrid Ancely, Stephanie Brayer, Catherine Baussois, Cathy Nabet, Géromine Fournier","doi":"10.1108/IJOPH-08-2025-0068","DOIUrl":"10.1108/IJOPH-08-2025-0068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Despite high levels of dental fear among people in prison, qualitative research investigating their subjective perceptions remains scarce. This study aims to explore how men who are incarcerated in a French remand center experience and express dental anxiety.</p><p><strong>Design/methodology/approach: </strong>A single-center qualitative study was conducted with 16 men who are incarcerated in a French remand center. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using a guide. Data was analyzed through an inductive thematic approach.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Three major themes emerged: (1) traumatic personal experiences with dental care; (2) emotional and sensory dimensions of dental anxiety; and (3) perspectives of people who are incarcerated on an ideal dental consultation. The narratives reveal how past trauma, mistrust of healthcare providers and environmental stressors within prison contribute to care avoidance. Participants also proposed practical improvements to make dental services provided in prison more reassuring, accessible and dignified.</p><p><strong>Originality/value: </strong>To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first qualitative study in France to explore dental anxiety among people who are incarcerated using a multisensory, narrative-based approach. The study highlights the role of person-centered care in addressing dental anxiety in prison settings and provides concrete, context-specific recommendations for improving oral and healthcare delivery in correctional facilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":519936,"journal":{"name":"International journal of prison health","volume":" ","pages":"355-365"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147329016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Body posture in young, physically active and non-active people in prison.","authors":"Piotr Łapiński, Aleksandra Truszczyńska-Baszak, Justyna Drzał-Grabiec, Matthew Maycock","doi":"10.1108/IJOPH-03-2025-0024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPH-03-2025-0024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The purpose of this study is to assess the posture of adult men living in prison who engage in physical activity in prison exercise rooms without instructor supervision, compared to men who are physically inactive living in prison.</p><p><strong>Design/methodology/approach: </strong>A total of 119 people living in prison in Warsaw signed up to participate in the My Posture is an Important Topic health promotion program. The assessment of body posture was a central part of the program. After applying the inclusion criteria, the group consisted of 38 people living in prison. Seventeen people in this group engaged in physical activity without the supervision of an instructor. The control group consisted of 21 male physically inactive people.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>In the group of physically active men, significantly higher values of the thoracic kyphosis depth (p = 0.021) and the pelvic tilt angle (p = 0.038) were noted in comparison to the control group. The distances of the lower angle of the scapula from the spine among physically active people in prison had lower values than in the control group (p = 0.015).</p><p><strong>Research limitations/implications: </strong>The weak test power reached (and smaller than expected effect size) suggests that, despite statistical significance, the effect may be accidental and requires replication in a larger sample study.</p><p><strong>Practical implications: </strong>The research findings demonstrate the need to offer guidance, and exercises should be monitored regarding training methodology, including the selection of training plans and proper exercise execution.</p><p><strong>Originality/value: </strong>This study concerns the body posture of people living in prison in the context of their physical activity and prison conditions, making a unique contribution to the evidence on the impact of prison life on health.</p>","PeriodicalId":519936,"journal":{"name":"International journal of prison health","volume":" ","pages":"1-20"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149121964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Barriers and facilitators to the diversion of prescribed medicines among people incarcerated in prison: a systematic review.","authors":"Noah Harwood, Seilin Uhm, David Wright, Katherine Hunt","doi":"10.1108/IJOPH-12-2025-0104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPH-12-2025-0104","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The purpose of this study is to synthesise empirical evidence on the factors that enable or hinder diversion of prescribed medicines in prison populations.</p><p><strong>Design/methodology/approach: </strong>A systematic review of primary studies published in English between January 2018 and 31 July 2025 was undertaken in MEDLINE, CINAHL and PubMed. Methodological quality was appraised with the Long-French & Brooks adaptation of CASP. Findings were integrated through narrative synthesis and mapped against Smith's Model of Addiction.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Seven studies met the criteria (six qualitative, one mixed-methods; n = 239 participants were involved in six papers; one paper stated they interviewed 11 jails rather than participants). Study samples were drawn from the UK and the USA except May et al. (2020), which was conducted in Wales. In all, 12 recurring determinants were clustered within three domains: institutional (e.g. dispensing procedures and staffing levels), social (e.g. peer hierarchies and informal economies) and individual (e.g. pain management needs and substance-use history). Some determinants acted as both barriers and facilitators depending on local configuration. The interplay of environment, behaviour and personal agency suggests that single-level interventions are unlikely to curb diversion sustainably.</p><p><strong>Research limitations/implications: </strong>Evidence is predominantly from US jail/prison contexts with limited demographic diversity; more UK/EU prison research is needed.</p><p><strong>Practical implications: </strong>This study co-designed dispensing protocols, person-centred communication training and expanded access to MOUD (including diversion-resistant formulations) warrant testing.</p><p><strong>Social implications: </strong>Medication diversion in prisons has wider social consequences beyond clinical risk. It can fuel informal trading economies, debt, intimidation and violence and can undermine trust between people in prison and health-care staff. Fear of diversion may lead to restrictive dispensing practices that reduce timely access to legitimate therapies, potentially widening health inequalities and increasing relapse and self-harm risk. Addressing diversion, therefore, supports safer prison communities, improves equitable access to care and strengthens continuity of treatment on release.</p><p><strong>Originality/value: </strong>This study co-designed dispensing protocols, person-centred communication training and expanded access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) (including diversion-resistant formulations) warrant development and testing.</p>","PeriodicalId":519936,"journal":{"name":"International journal of prison health","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149027301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The health burden of incarceration: cardiovascular risk in a Nigerian prison population.","authors":"Gbenga Emmanuel Olakuleyin, Regina Ngozi Ugbaja, Al-Ameen Olanrewaju Otolorin, Toyosi Christiana Olakuleyin","doi":"10.1108/IJOPH-07-2025-0057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPH-07-2025-0057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Evidence regarding non-communicable diseases and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks among people living in prison (PLP) in low- and middle-income countries is limited, particularly regarding multi-matrix electrolyte homeostasis. This study compared anthropometric indices, lipid profiles, and electrolyte balances between PLP and non-incarcerated controls in Nigeria.</p><p><strong>Design/methodology/approach: </strong>The authors enrolled 180 adult participants from Abeokuta, Nigeria: 90 PLP (40 women, 50 men) from Ibara Correctional Facility, Abeokuta, and 90 local community controls. Anthropometric indices, hemodynamic parameters and 10-year CVD risks (QRISK®3) were evaluated. Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium) and lipid profiles were quantified across plasma, erythrocytes (RBC) and urine matrices. Data were analysed using two-way ANOVA.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Incarceration status was significantly associated with higher waist circumference, body mass index, systolic/diastolic blood pressure and 10-year CVD risk (p < 0.01) across both sexes. Compared with community controls, incarcerated participants also demonstrated altered electrolytes distributions across plasma, RBC and urine; plasma sodium and potassium were significantly elevated (p < 0.001) alongside depletion of intracellular RBC potassium reserves (p < 0.001). Lipid profiling revealed an atherogenic state in the incarcerated cohorts, characterized by significant elevations in plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-VLDL fractions, paired with lower HDL cholesterol (p < 0.001). Significant status-by-sex interactions unmasked sex-specific topological fat distribution and electrolyte variations under institutional stress.</p><p><strong>Originality/value: </strong>Incarceration was associated with less favourable cardiometabolic profiles, altered electrolyte homeostasis and a more atherogenic lipid profile. These findings support the need for routine nutritional interventions, electrolyte monitoring and targeted preventive CVD screening programs within correctional facilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":519936,"journal":{"name":"International journal of prison health","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149019374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Three decades of the health promoting prison: a critical reappraisal of policy and practice.","authors":"James Woodall","doi":"10.1108/IJOPH-03-2026-0032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPH-03-2026-0032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This paper aims to provide a critical appraisal of the Health Promoting Prison (HPP) thirty years after its introduction by the World Health Organisation. It examines the extent to which the original settings-based vision has been realised; identifies areas of progress and stagnation; and analyses how contemporary policy and structural conditions have shaped and inhibited the HPP's trajectory.</p><p><strong>Design/methodology/approach: </strong>Using a critical review approach, this paper synthesises academic literature, policy documents and selected examples of prison health reform to explore the development of the HPP across three decades. The paper revisits earlier critiques of the HPP and integrates new evidence emerging over the last decade.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>The analysis reveals a consistent gap between the rhetoric of the HPP and its real world implementation. While countries such as Scotland, the Netherlands and Portugal demonstrate structural reform aligned with HPP principles, progress elsewhere remains fragmented and predominantly behaviourist. The paper highlights how COVID 19 exposed deep systemic vulnerabilities to the HPP model and underscores the health and well-being of prison staff - critical to a whole prison approach - which remains marginalised in health policy and practice. Overall, the HPP remains conceptually compelling but operationally underdeveloped.</p><p><strong>Practical implications: </strong>Findings indicate an urgent need for updated governance frameworks, strengthened whole prison approaches and renewed investment in environmental conditions.</p><p><strong>Originality/value: </strong>This paper provides the only three decade assessment of the HPP model. It contributes new theoretical insight by applying institutional isomorphism to explain policy drift and highlights prison staff well-being as a critical, yet neglected, determinant of healthy prison systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":519936,"journal":{"name":"International journal of prison health","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148804490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}