Educational Needs among Women Admitted to High Secure Forensic Psychiatric Care

ABSTRACT Forensic psychiatric patients’ low educational attainment is a strong predictor for recidivism. However, there is a lack of studies on the educational background among women admitted to forensic psychiatric care. The study aimed to investigate the educational background among women within a high secure forensic psychiatric setting. A mixed-method design was applied. Data were collected from registers, including medical records, forensic psychiatric investigations, and verdicts (n = 93), and by conducting interviews (n = 61) with women admitted to forensic psychiatric care in Sweden. The women’s education length varied between 5 and 18 years. According to interviews and registers, more than 70% of the women were found to have some school-related problems. In the interviews, some women associated school with conflicts, loneliness, and learning difficulties. Others explained how their disadvantageous home environment and many school changes affected their learning and problems developing and maintaining social relationships. Women with a neurodevelopmental disorder were to a higher degree documented with school-related problems than women without such disorders (97% vs. 63%). The educational attainment varied among the women, and consequently, their educational needs were heterogeneous. Therefore, they should be offered tailored education and vocational support to have an increased prerequisite for adjusting to and participating in society.