title: Prison staff and women prisoner's views on self-harm; their implications for service delivery and development: A qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rates of self-harm are high among women in prison in the UK. This is the first study to compare the views and attitudes of prison staff and women prisoners and to look at the effects of these attitudes on prisoner/staff relationships.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore understanding of self-harm among women prisoners, prison officers and health-care staff and how their perceptions might influence service provision and development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women prisoners who self-harm and with staff at a women's prison. Data were analysed thematically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prison officers often attributed motives to self-harm such as 'manipulation' and 'attention-seeking', whereas descriptions by women prisoners, prison governors and health-care staff suggested explanations in affect regulation or self-punishment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences between prison officers and other staff working in the prison in their understanding of self-harm by women prisoners may lie in training differences, but there may be other explanations such as self-protection/coping strategies. More training and support for officers may result in improved staff-prisoner relationships and thus, safer service provision.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Women's Mental Health Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Cassandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kenning
authors.forename: Jayne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Vicky
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Short
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chew-Graham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003416:Criminal Law / Q000379:methods; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011330:Prisons / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D006113:United Kingdom; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D055815:Young Adult