Jennifer A. Ray, Kathleen S. J. Preston, Aurora P. Jackson
This study examined the roles of neighborhood social cohesion, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and parenting stress in early childhood on child behavioral outcomes in middle childhood and adolescence among socioeconomically disadvantaged Black families. To test a model linking perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion, single mothers' parenting stress, ACEs, and behavior problems in middle childhood and adolescence. We used four waves of longitudinal data from a subsample of 800 unmarried Black mothers and their children (at child birth and ages 3, 5, 9, and 15) from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a nationally representative data set. Structural equation modeling with latent variables was used to measure direct and indirect effects. Mothers' perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion were significantly and negatively associated parenting stress (β = −0.34, p < 0.05); parenting stress was significantly and positively related to adverse childhood experiences (β = 0.40, p < 0.05) and behavior problems (β = 0.32, p < 0.05); Adverse childhood experiences were significantly and positively related to behavior problems (β = 0.26, p < 0.05); and behavior problems were indirectly influenced by neighborhood social cohesion through adverse childhood experiences (β = −0.14, p < 0.05) and parenting stress (β = 0.10, p < 0.05). Neighborhood factors may play a significant role in parenting stress, adverse childhood experiences in early childhood, and children's behavior problems in middle childhood and adolescence among some single mothers and children in economically and socially disadvantaged Black families. Interventions that enhance neighborhood social cohesion and foster supportive interactions among community members and organizations are recommended.
{"title":"Single mothers' perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion, parenting stress, adverse childhood experiences in early childhood and Black children's behavior problems in middle childhood and adolescence","authors":"Jennifer A. Ray, Kathleen S. J. Preston, Aurora P. Jackson","doi":"10.1002/jcop.23115","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jcop.23115","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study examined the roles of neighborhood social cohesion, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and parenting stress in early childhood on child behavioral outcomes in middle childhood and adolescence among socioeconomically disadvantaged Black families. To test a model linking perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion, single mothers' parenting stress, ACEs, and behavior problems in middle childhood and adolescence. We used four waves of longitudinal data from a subsample of 800 unmarried Black mothers and their children (at child birth and ages 3, 5, 9, and 15) from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a nationally representative data set. Structural equation modeling with latent variables was used to measure direct and indirect effects. Mothers' perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion were significantly and negatively associated parenting stress (<i>β</i> = −0.34, <i>p</i> < 0.05); parenting stress was significantly and positively related to adverse childhood experiences (<i>β</i> = 0.40, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and behavior problems (<i>β</i> = 0.32, <i>p</i> < 0.05); Adverse childhood experiences were significantly and positively related to behavior problems (<i>β</i> = 0.26, <i>p</i> < 0.05); and behavior problems were indirectly influenced by neighborhood social cohesion through adverse childhood experiences (<i>β</i> = −0.14, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and parenting stress (<i>β</i> = 0.10, <i>p</i> < 0.05). Neighborhood factors may play a significant role in parenting stress, adverse childhood experiences in early childhood, and children's behavior problems in middle childhood and adolescence among some single mothers and children in economically and socially disadvantaged Black families. Interventions that enhance neighborhood social cohesion and foster supportive interactions among community members and organizations are recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":15496,"journal":{"name":"Journal of community psychology","volume":"52 4","pages":"599-610"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140589687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mari Kira, Andrea Belgrade, Noor Saleem, Rouan Salim, Fiona Lee
Adolescent refugees confront a complex interplay of trauma arising from forced displacement, resettlement, and the challenges of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Using photovoice methodology, this study engaged 14 Iraqi and Syrian adolescent refugees now residing in the United States with the aim to illuminate their well-being experiences. Our findings show that temporal continuities and discontinuities in adolescent refugees' lives contributed to their sense of well-being by helping satisfy their basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, relatedness, and safety. Temporal continuities involved drawing upon past resources and formulating future career aspirations based on present experiences. Temporal discontinuities encompassed contrasting past and present and processing adversities endured. This study underscores that, beyond current circumstances, the interpretation of life experiences over extended timeframes influences the well-being of adolescent refugees.
{"title":"The role of temporality in adolescent refugees' sense of well-being","authors":"Mari Kira, Andrea Belgrade, Noor Saleem, Rouan Salim, Fiona Lee","doi":"10.1002/jcop.23114","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jcop.23114","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Adolescent refugees confront a complex interplay of trauma arising from forced displacement, resettlement, and the challenges of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Using photovoice methodology, this study engaged 14 Iraqi and Syrian adolescent refugees now residing in the United States with the aim to illuminate their well-being experiences. Our findings show that temporal continuities and discontinuities in adolescent refugees' lives contributed to their sense of well-being by helping satisfy their basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, relatedness, and safety. Temporal continuities involved drawing upon past resources and formulating future career aspirations based on present experiences. Temporal discontinuities encompassed contrasting past and present and processing adversities endured. This study underscores that, beyond current circumstances, the interpretation of life experiences over extended timeframes influences the well-being of adolescent refugees.</p>","PeriodicalId":15496,"journal":{"name":"Journal of community psychology","volume":"52 4","pages":"574-598"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jcop.23114","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140184605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Krista R. Mehari, Savannah Morgan, Laura Taylor Stevens, Jasmine N. Coleman, Kaitlyn Schuler, Curtis Graves, Dakota R. B. Lindsey, Phillip N. Smith
This mixed methods study had two aims: (1) to examine the effectiveness of a jail diversion program in reducing recidivism and promoting educational and employment outcomes; and (2) to qualitatively explore mechanisms through which the program was effective. Participants were 17 individuals arrested for drug offenses who participated in an intensive, law enforcement-based jail diversion program, and 17 individuals in a comparison group. Arrests were extracted from police records, and education and employment were extracted from program data. Four intervention participants completed qualitative interviews. Arrest rates in the intervention group decreased significantly postintervention, and arrest rates in the intervention group were numerically lower than those in the comparison group. Participants experienced significant increases in employment and driver's license status. Participants also identified mechanisms through which the program was effective. This jail diversion program shows promise in reducing recidivism and promoting adaptive functioning. Jail diversion programs that include mentorship, peer support, and removal of barriers to success may be particularly effective.
{"title":"Mixed methods evaluation of a jail diversion program: Impact on arrests and functioning","authors":"Krista R. Mehari, Savannah Morgan, Laura Taylor Stevens, Jasmine N. Coleman, Kaitlyn Schuler, Curtis Graves, Dakota R. B. Lindsey, Phillip N. Smith","doi":"10.1002/jcop.23113","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jcop.23113","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This mixed methods study had two aims: (1) to examine the effectiveness of a jail diversion program in reducing recidivism and promoting educational and employment outcomes; and (2) to qualitatively explore mechanisms through which the program was effective. Participants were 17 individuals arrested for drug offenses who participated in an intensive, law enforcement-based jail diversion program, and 17 individuals in a comparison group. Arrests were extracted from police records, and education and employment were extracted from program data. Four intervention participants completed qualitative interviews. Arrest rates in the intervention group decreased significantly postintervention, and arrest rates in the intervention group were numerically lower than those in the comparison group. Participants experienced significant increases in employment and driver's license status. Participants also identified mechanisms through which the program was effective. This jail diversion program shows promise in reducing recidivism and promoting adaptive functioning. Jail diversion programs that include mentorship, peer support, and removal of barriers to success may be particularly effective.</p>","PeriodicalId":15496,"journal":{"name":"Journal of community psychology","volume":"52 4","pages":"551-573"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jcop.23113","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140140279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sumeyye Taskin, Hacer Yildirim Kurtulus, Seydi Ahmet Satici, M. Engin Deniz
Considering that large-scale events such as natural disasters, epidemics, and wars affect people all over the world through online news channels, it is inevitable to investigate the impact of following or avoiding negative news on well-being. This study investigated the effect of doomscrolling on mental well-being and the mediating role of mindfulness and secondary traumatic stress in social media users. A total of 400 Turkish adults completed scales to assess doomscrolling, mental well-being, mindfulness, and secondary traumatic stress. The average age of the participants was 29.42 (SD = 8.38; ranged = 18−65). Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the mediating roles of mindfulness and secondary traumatic stress in the relationship between doomscrolling and mental well-being. Mindfulness and secondary traumatic stress fully mediated the relationship between doomscrolling and mental well-being. The results are discussed in light of existing knowledge of doomscrolling, mental well-being, mindfulness, and secondary traumatic stress. High levels of doomscrolling, which is related to an individual's mental well-being, can predict the individual's distraction from the here and now and fixation on negative news. This situation, in which mindfulness is low, is related to the individual's indirect traumatization and increased secondary traumatic stress symptoms in the face of the negative news he/she follows.
{"title":"Doomscrolling and mental well-being in social media users: A serial mediation through mindfulness and secondary traumatic stress","authors":"Sumeyye Taskin, Hacer Yildirim Kurtulus, Seydi Ahmet Satici, M. Engin Deniz","doi":"10.1002/jcop.23111","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jcop.23111","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Considering that large-scale events such as natural disasters, epidemics, and wars affect people all over the world through online news channels, it is inevitable to investigate the impact of following or avoiding negative news on well-being. This study investigated the effect of doomscrolling on mental well-being and the mediating role of mindfulness and secondary traumatic stress in social media users. A total of 400 Turkish adults completed scales to assess doomscrolling, mental well-being, mindfulness, and secondary traumatic stress. The average age of the participants was 29.42 (SD = 8.38; ranged = 18−65). Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the mediating roles of mindfulness and secondary traumatic stress in the relationship between doomscrolling and mental well-being. Mindfulness and secondary traumatic stress fully mediated the relationship between doomscrolling and mental well-being. The results are discussed in light of existing knowledge of doomscrolling, mental well-being, mindfulness, and secondary traumatic stress. High levels of doomscrolling, which is related to an individual's mental well-being, can predict the individual's distraction from the here and now and fixation on negative news. This situation, in which mindfulness is low, is related to the individual's indirect traumatization and increased secondary traumatic stress symptoms in the face of the negative news he/she follows.</p>","PeriodicalId":15496,"journal":{"name":"Journal of community psychology","volume":"52 3","pages":"512-524"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140012687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"List of reviewers","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/jcop.23109","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jcop.23109","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15496,"journal":{"name":"Journal of community psychology","volume":"52 3","pages":"537-546"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140019939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The purpose of the study is to analyze the factors associated with the formation of social anxiety and to explore trends in their impact on society in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors have used comparative, descriptive, and deductive methods to achieve the research goals. The results of the study determined that anxiety phenomena have become increasingly common over time and social anxiety is one of the most dangerous due to its degree of limitation. The vast majority of people experience some form of social anxiety, which occurs when distorted reality intervenes and certain moments signalize as dangerous. As a product of individual experience and sociopolitical construct, fear becomes the element organizing the state order. The social aspects are notably relevant to the process when the common sense of public consciousness puts security in the foreground as a matter of the greatest importance and urgency.
{"title":"Social anxiety of the citizens of Kazakhstan: The dynamics of change and its impact on public consciousness","authors":"Indira Duisenova, Almira Mukazhanova, Zhomart Simtikov, Maidan Abishev","doi":"10.1002/jcop.23112","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jcop.23112","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The purpose of the study is to analyze the factors associated with the formation of social anxiety and to explore trends in their impact on society in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors have used comparative, descriptive, and deductive methods to achieve the research goals. The results of the study determined that anxiety phenomena have become increasingly common over time and social anxiety is one of the most dangerous due to its degree of limitation. The vast majority of people experience some form of social anxiety, which occurs when distorted reality intervenes and certain moments signalize as dangerous. As a product of individual experience and sociopolitical construct, fear becomes the element organizing the state order. The social aspects are notably relevant to the process when the common sense of public consciousness puts security in the foreground as a matter of the greatest importance and urgency.</p>","PeriodicalId":15496,"journal":{"name":"Journal of community psychology","volume":"52 3","pages":"525-536"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139972073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between the psychological resilience of earthquake survivor students and their general health status. This descriptive and correlational study was conducted at a state university in Turkey in June 2023 with the nursing department students of a university that experienced two major earthquakes in Turkey on February 6, 2023. The sample of the study consisted of 287 students. The data of the study were collected with the “Descriptive Characteristics Form,” “Brief Resilience Scale,” and “General Health Questionnaire-12.” Filling out the forms took approximately 5−10 min. It was determined in the present study that the psychological resilience of the earthquake survivor students was moderate. It was found that the girls, second graders, those with higher income levels, those who did not receive medication/professional support for their mental health, and those who described their health as good generally had higher psychological resilience levels. It was found that the general health status of the earthquake survivors was at an increased risk level, and 69% of them were at high risk for mental diseases. The mental health of girls, first graders, those who had low-income levels, those who lost loved ones in the earthquake, those whose houses were damaged, those who received medication/professional support for mental health, those who did not generally participate in distance education, and those who described their health as deficient in general, had worse mental health levels. A high relationship was detected between nursing students' psychological resilience and mental health (p < 0.05). It was concluded in the present study that as the psychological resilience of the students increased, the risk of mental disease decreased.
{"title":"The relationship between the psychological resilience and general health levels of earthquake survivor nursing students in Kahramanmaras earthquakes, the disaster of the century","authors":"Meltem Sirin Gok, Ayşe Aydin, Yaprak Baga, Bahar Ciftci","doi":"10.1002/jcop.23110","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jcop.23110","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between the psychological resilience of earthquake survivor students and their general health status. This descriptive and correlational study was conducted at a state university in Turkey in June 2023 with the nursing department students of a university that experienced two major earthquakes in Turkey on February 6, 2023. The sample of the study consisted of 287 students. The data of the study were collected with the “Descriptive Characteristics Form,” “Brief Resilience Scale,” and “General Health Questionnaire-12.” Filling out the forms took approximately 5−10 min. It was determined in the present study that the psychological resilience of the earthquake survivor students was moderate. It was found that the girls, second graders, those with higher income levels, those who did not receive medication/professional support for their mental health, and those who described their health as good generally had higher psychological resilience levels. It was found that the general health status of the earthquake survivors was at an increased risk level, and 69% of them were at high risk for mental diseases. The mental health of girls, first graders, those who had low-income levels, those who lost loved ones in the earthquake, those whose houses were damaged, those who received medication/professional support for mental health, those who did not generally participate in distance education, and those who described their health as deficient in general, had worse mental health levels. A high relationship was detected between nursing students' psychological resilience and mental health (<i>p</i> < 0.05). It was concluded in the present study that as the psychological resilience of the students increased, the risk of mental disease decreased.</p>","PeriodicalId":15496,"journal":{"name":"Journal of community psychology","volume":"52 3","pages":"498-511"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jcop.23110","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139927418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Following recent events involving racism and violence in policing, the current study sought to understand factors associated with support for related social movements and worries about personal, family, and peer safety. Data were from 78 currently incarcerated young people (M = 16.5 years; 31% Black) and 20 juvenile prison staff (M = 40.3 years; 72% Black) via online surveys. A comparable proportion of young people (47.3%) and staff (47.4%) reported participating in the Black Lives Matter movement. Among young people, prior experiences with police were significantly associated with support for social movements and worries about safety concerning racism and violence in policing. Among staff, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and racial and ethnic identity were significantly associated with social movement support and worries about safety. Civic education and interventions to promote racial and ethnic identity may promote support for systemic change and buffer against worries about racism and violence in policing.
{"title":"Racism and violence in policing: Perspectives from a juvenile prison","authors":"Rebecca L. Fix","doi":"10.1002/jcop.23104","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jcop.23104","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Following recent events involving racism and violence in policing, the current study sought to understand factors associated with support for related social movements and worries about personal, family, and peer safety. Data were from 78 currently incarcerated young people (<i>M</i> = 16.5 years; 31% Black) and 20 juvenile prison staff (<i>M</i> = 40.3 years; 72% Black) via online surveys. A comparable proportion of young people (47.3%) and staff (47.4%) reported participating in the Black Lives Matter movement. Among young people, prior experiences with police were significantly associated with support for social movements and worries about safety concerning racism and violence in policing. Among staff, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and racial and ethnic identity were significantly associated with social movement support and worries about safety. Civic education and interventions to promote racial and ethnic identity may promote support for systemic change and buffer against worries about racism and violence in policing.</p>","PeriodicalId":15496,"journal":{"name":"Journal of community psychology","volume":"52 3","pages":"459-474"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139735293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p>A significant proportion of people who inject drugs in prisons (PWIDP) lack access to the necessary treatment, care, and support for their drug use disorder, resulting in a persistent pattern of drug injection within correctional facilities (Dolan et al., <span>2015</span>). The exorbitant cost of a new syringe in prison (Treloar et al., <span>2016</span>) often compels PWIDP to resort to sharing needles, even despite their awareness of the associated risks of infection transmission. However, the act of sharing drug paraphernalia is not solely attributable to a lack of access; it is a complex phenomenon influenced by a combination of individual and structural factors, social environment, and prevailing policies (Allen et al., <span>2023</span>).</p><p>Needle and syringe programs (NSPs) are widely recognized as effective interventions for reducing needle sharing and preventing the transmission of infectious diseases among PWIDP (Lazarus et al., <span>2018</span>; Moazen et al., <span>2019</span>). While drug injection remains a significant healthcare challenge in prison settings, prison policymakers often exhibit reluctance in adopting NSPs within their facilities, as evidenced by the limited number of countries that have implemented such programs (Kamarulzaman et al., <span>2016</span>). For instance, in the European Union, only four countries currently offer NSPs in their prisons, with notably low program coverage in these nations (Moazen et al., <span>2020</span>).</p><p>Reluctance to implementing NSPs in prison settings can be attributed to a variety of factors, with security concerns emerging as the most commonly cited reason (Mogg & Levy, <span>2009</span>). There are apprehensions regarding the potential misuse of syringes as weapons against both fellow incarcerated individuals and staff members. Tragically, this concern materialized in 1990 in Australia when a 21-year-old prison guard named Geoffrey Pearce was fatally stabbed by a prisoner wielding a syringe contaminated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), eventually succumbing to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Beyond security issues, opponents of NSPs in prison settings argue that providing incarcerated people with syringes may inadvertently encourage drug injection. However, there is a lack of substantial scientific evidence to support this claim.</p><p>The concerns raised by prison policy makers are entirely understandable. To address these apprehensions and determine the program's feasibility for permanent implementation, conducting a pilot phase is a prudent solution. A pilot program would effectively highlight any shortcomings, offering both policymakers and healthcare providers an opportunity to identify and rectify any existing issues. To enhance the program's acceptability and effectiveness, it is strongly recommended that both people who live and work in prisons actively participate in designing and implementing the pilot program. This collaborative approa
{"title":"Needle and syringe programs in prisons: Does it really matter?","authors":"Babak Moazen, Heino Stöver","doi":"10.1002/jcop.23108","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jcop.23108","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A significant proportion of people who inject drugs in prisons (PWIDP) lack access to the necessary treatment, care, and support for their drug use disorder, resulting in a persistent pattern of drug injection within correctional facilities (Dolan et al., <span>2015</span>). The exorbitant cost of a new syringe in prison (Treloar et al., <span>2016</span>) often compels PWIDP to resort to sharing needles, even despite their awareness of the associated risks of infection transmission. However, the act of sharing drug paraphernalia is not solely attributable to a lack of access; it is a complex phenomenon influenced by a combination of individual and structural factors, social environment, and prevailing policies (Allen et al., <span>2023</span>).</p><p>Needle and syringe programs (NSPs) are widely recognized as effective interventions for reducing needle sharing and preventing the transmission of infectious diseases among PWIDP (Lazarus et al., <span>2018</span>; Moazen et al., <span>2019</span>). While drug injection remains a significant healthcare challenge in prison settings, prison policymakers often exhibit reluctance in adopting NSPs within their facilities, as evidenced by the limited number of countries that have implemented such programs (Kamarulzaman et al., <span>2016</span>). For instance, in the European Union, only four countries currently offer NSPs in their prisons, with notably low program coverage in these nations (Moazen et al., <span>2020</span>).</p><p>Reluctance to implementing NSPs in prison settings can be attributed to a variety of factors, with security concerns emerging as the most commonly cited reason (Mogg & Levy, <span>2009</span>). There are apprehensions regarding the potential misuse of syringes as weapons against both fellow incarcerated individuals and staff members. Tragically, this concern materialized in 1990 in Australia when a 21-year-old prison guard named Geoffrey Pearce was fatally stabbed by a prisoner wielding a syringe contaminated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), eventually succumbing to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Beyond security issues, opponents of NSPs in prison settings argue that providing incarcerated people with syringes may inadvertently encourage drug injection. However, there is a lack of substantial scientific evidence to support this claim.</p><p>The concerns raised by prison policy makers are entirely understandable. To address these apprehensions and determine the program's feasibility for permanent implementation, conducting a pilot phase is a prudent solution. A pilot program would effectively highlight any shortcomings, offering both policymakers and healthcare providers an opportunity to identify and rectify any existing issues. To enhance the program's acceptability and effectiveness, it is strongly recommended that both people who live and work in prisons actively participate in designing and implementing the pilot program. This collaborative approa","PeriodicalId":15496,"journal":{"name":"Journal of community psychology","volume":"52 4","pages":"611-612"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jcop.23108","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139722875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}