A Feasibility Study of a Guided Self-help Programme for Male Offenders Serving a Long-term Prison Sentence

NCT ID: NCT04746651

Last Updated: 2021-02-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 15 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-03-01
• Study Completion Date: 2020-01-17

Brief Summary

Background: Prisoners have complex mental health needs, and there is a disproportionately higher incidence of mental health problems compared with the general population. Although research indicates that psychological interventions are effective in treating prisoners with anxiety and depression, medication is often the only treatment available in prisons. Living Life To The Full (LLTTF) is a life skills programme teaching skills to cope with life stresses, and has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression in individuals in the community.

Research Questions

1. Will prisoners take part in and engage with LLTTF?

2. Do LLTTF booklets need to be adapted for prisoners?

3. Does LLTTF show an effect of reducing anxiety and/or depression?

4. Does history of HI reduce responsivity to LLTTF?

5. Does LLTTF reduce number of breaches of prison rules?

What did the study involve?: Prison Officers in HMP Shotts were invited to take part and attend LLTTF training. Male prisoners aged 21 and above in HMP Shotts were recruited using posters. Assessment of anxiety, depression, perceived functioning, and history of head injury was carried out. Prisoners' work attendance and breaches of prison rules for the month prior to and month during LLTTF was collected. Prison Officers and prisoners provided feedback of LLTTF at end of treatment.

Results: Six (6%) Prison Officers attended LLTTF training and two (33%) withdrew prior to prisoner recruitment. 6% (n=15) of prisoners invited to take part volunteered and were eligible. Seven prisoners completed LLTTF.

There was a sign of a treatment effect with reductions in depression following LLTTF. Anxiety reduced at the last session and increased at post-treatment, which reflects the deterioration in a minority of prisoners. Due to the small sample size, history of HI and responsivity was not explored. Prisoners were not on report the month prior to LLTTF, therefore impact on breached rules was not explored.

Feedback from Prison Officers and prisoners indicated materials required adaptation for prison, such as including activities feasible in prison. Prison Officers highlighted practical barriers to delivery of LLTTF, including limited time.

Conclusions: Guided self-help in prison is worth pursuing. Revision of materials with Prison Officers and prisoners is recommended, and evaluated in future research. Due to practical barriers reported by Prison Officers, designated guided self-help workers may be better placed to deliver this intervention.

Conditions

Anxiety; Depression

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Guided Self Help

Four guided self-help booklets were used; "Why do I feel so bad?" covered formulation/understanding feelings, "I can't be bothered doing anything" centred on activity scheduling, "Why does everything always go wrong?" focused on thought-challenging, and "How to fix almost everything" incorporated problem solving. Linked worksheets were adapted following feedback from Prison Officers.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Guided Self Help

Intervention Type: OTHER

Guided self help appointments with prison staff - 4x 30 minute appointments.

Interventions

Guided Self Help

Guided self help appointments with prison staff - 4x 30 minute appointments.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Prisoners were excluded if deemed, by Prison Officers or healthcare staff, to pose a direct risk of harm to the field researcher (or were at risk of imminent and significant self-harm).

• Minimum Eligible Age: 21 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 100 Years
• Eligible Sex: MALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

NHS Lanarkshire

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Glasgow

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Jennifer Lai

Trainee Clinical Psychologist

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

University of Glasgow

Glasgow, , United Kingdom

Countries

United Kingdom

Other Identifiers

L19007

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id