Piloting a Psycho-Social Intervention for Incarcerated Women With Trauma Histories: Lessons Learned and Future Recommendations

This study describes a pilot study of an 8-week, strengths-based, trauma-focused intervention for 26 incarcerated women. Women reported considerable mental health problems and trauma. The study highlights the importance of adapting stringent research methodologies for prison-based trauma interventions. For instance, women with trauma were reluctant to participate in an intervention advertised as trauma-based. Moreover, a randomized wait list control design was unfeasible because women wanted the support of their friends when discussing trauma and could not control their schedules 9 weeks in advance. Ultimately, this work may inform future efforts to implement effective trauma-based interventions behind prison walls.

Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - July 8, 2014 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Liebman, R. E., Burnette, M. L., Raimondi, C., Nichols-Hadeed, C., Merle, P., Cerulli, C. Tags: Articles Source Type: research