Date of Submission

Spring 2024

Academic Program

Psychology

Project Advisor 1

Anne O'Dwyer

Project Advisor 2

Justin Dainer-Best

Abstract/Artist's Statement

Stigmas around mental health include both an individual’s stigmas, as well as public stigmas, both of which impact whether or not an individual seeks treatment for their mental health problems. These attitudes toward mental healthcare translate into prison settings as well, where individuals are often afraid to seek treatment because of the way in which they could be stigmatized by the staff and other incarcerated individuals. Between the fear around how they might be perceived if others find out they are getting treatment for their mental health and the lack of reliable and efficient healthcare resources in correctional facilities, individuals in prison have difficulty getting proper care. Given these obstacles, individuals who have spent time in solitary confinement tend to develop health complications as well as mental health problems that specifically result from prolonged isolation. In this analysis, I reviewed the literature on mental health challenges faced by those who are incarcerated or have been in the past. I then proposed an interview and survey study to examine if having been in solitary confinement affects whether or not an individual will seek treatment post-incarceration. To examine what stigmas they might have against mental health treatment, participants would complete the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale (Vogel, Wade, & Haake, 2006), and the The Attitude Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (Fischer & Turner, 1970). The results of these surveys, as well as the interview responses, would be analyzed to explore connections between seeking help post-incarceration and prior time in solitary confinement.

Open Access Agreement

Open Access

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Download

This work is protected by a Creative Commons license. Any use not permitted under that license is prohibited.

Share

COinS