The mental health and lived experiences of women in secure settings

Chapter 1 comprises a review of the literature on the mental health of women prisoners. Historically, research of this kind has tended to focus on male prisoners. In recent years Government initiatives have promoted prison healthcare to be brought in line with the National Health Service. Through a review of the literature this chapter discusses the mental health of women prisoners, with an emphasis on women in the United Kingdom. Treatment needs and marginalised groups in women’s prisons receive a specific focus and recommendations for future research are considered. Chapter 2 is an empirical study, focussed on The Lived Experiences of Women in the National High Secure Healthcare Service for Women, NHSHSW. Following recent changes in the secure hospital system in the UK, the NHSHSW is now the only high secure hospital for women. The women patients in the NHSHSW are admitted from court, prison or hospital if they are assessed to require high secure conditions by virtue of their perceived dangerousness. Research shows that little is known about the experiences of women in this setting. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach, an idiographic methodology; the experiences of eight women in the NHSHSW are explored. The themes identified are discussed in detail and considered in light of the existing research. Recommendations for further research are discussed. Chapter 3 reflects on the research process. It considers the anxieties of a first time qualitative researcher, a woman researching the experiences of women patients in a, secure setting. Reflections on the research process and the impact on the researcher are considered