Guest editorial
| Published date | 07 November 2016 |
| Pages | 145-145 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCP-08-2016-0022 |
| Date | 07 November 2016 |
| Author | Karen Slade |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Criminal psychology,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Deviant behaviour,Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice |
Karen Slade
Karen Slade is a Senior
Lecturer at the Department of
Psychology, Nottingham Trent
University, Nottingham, UK.
Self-harm and suicide in forensic settings
This special edition of the Journal of Criminal Psychology is a timely edition with concerns in many
jurisdictions regarding the rising rates of suicide and self-harm within prisons and other forensic
services. The relevance of a broad view of this area is clear, with a need to draw together across
disciplines and settings to develop our knowledge and practice. I am honoured to present a
range of papers from significant authors in the field of suicide and self-harm prevention who
provide fresh insights from which the field can continue to develop.
The first paper, by Forrester and colleagues evaluates the prevalence and correlates of suicide
ideation amongst 888 detainees in police custody. They reflect the high levels of ideation
prevalence (16 per cent) and confirm risks surrounding previous self-harm, recent substance and
alcohol use and mental health disorder amongst those experiencing ideation. The authors
conclude that there is strong case for integrated services to manage risk across the criminal
justice pathway.
The second paper, by Marzano explores the needs and motivations of 20 men who self-harm in
prison without apparent suicidal intent. Her findings reflect a backdrop of early traumatic
experiences and recent aversive events where self-harm is a means to release tension, sadness
and frustration and of being heard in an unresponsive system.
Following the prison theme, Walker and colleagues are our third paper, who present a qualitative
study from the perspective of prison staff. Interviewing 14 prison staff working with imprisoned
females they identified key themes relating to developing relationships, self-help strategies and
relational interventions. The authors conclude that there is need for greater training and support
for prison staff to meet their dual role of custodian and carer.
Bringing a novel perspective from Belgium, paper four from Wittouk and colleagues is an insight
into the correlates of suicide ideation within four prisons across Belgium. The results confirm that
suicidality is a major health concern with dynamic psychological and social factors and recent
negative experiences coupled with limited coping skills are of importance.
The final research paper by Wright reflects young males in a US residential programme and the
associations between being a perpetrator or victim of bullying with non-suicidal self-harm and
suicide ideation; and the mediating effect of parental warmth. Their findings indicate that
involvement in bullying increases the risk of self-harm and suicide ideation; with stronger
associations for self-harm for those reporting low-parental warmth.
Following our research papers, Hatton and Akerman provide a review of a training event
delivered by Slade on “Working with suicide risk in offenders”at HMP Grendon, a noted
therapeutic prison. The topics covered include the link between self-harm and suicide, why
offenders harm themselves, assessment and finally care planning. A particular note was the
benefits of collaboration between professionals and the residents at the prison in understanding
suicide and self-harm.
This edition concludes with a book review by Logan on Preventing Self-Injury and Suicide in
Women’s Prisons by Walker and Towl, providing useful commentary on this informative book
which is highly relevant to this edition.
DOI 10.1108/JCP-08-2016-0022 VOL. 6 NO. 4 2016, p. 145, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2009-3829
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JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY
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Guest editorial
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