Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
04:38
Assessment of Sexual Behavior of Male Mice
Published on: March 5, 2020
Understanding help seeking behaviour among male offenders: qualitative interview study
Amanda Howerton1, Richard Byng, John Campbell
1Primary Care Research Group, Peninsula Medical School, Exeter EX1 2LU.
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)
|January 16, 2007
Summary
Offenders often distrust healthcare professionals, fearing stigma and superficial treatment, which prevents them from seeking mental health support. Building trust through respect and tailored information is crucial for improving access to care.
Area of Science:
- Criminology
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Offenders frequently experience mental distress, yet help-seeking behaviors remain understudied.
- Barriers to accessing mental healthcare for this population are significant.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors influencing help-seeking for mental distress among offenders.
- To understand the specific barriers and facilitators to mental healthcare access for prisoners.
Main Methods:
- A qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 35 male offenders.
- Interviews were conducted before and after release from a category B prison in southern England.
- Participants included individuals at risk of self-harm.
Main Results:
- Most offenders reported reluctance to seek help from general practitioners or healthcare professionals due to fear of formal diagnosis and associated stigma.
- Lack of trust in the healthcare system and professionals was a prominent theme, linked to adverse childhood experiences and negative perceptions of care.
- Positive past experiences of being respected and listened to by general practitioners were associated with willingness to seek help.
Conclusions:
- Distrust is a primary barrier to healthcare access for offenders.
- Healthcare professionals can foster trust by demonstrating respect, active listening, and individualised care.
- Targeted information to de-stigmatise mental illness and support services for ex-prisoners are recommended to improve mental healthcare seeking.
Related Concept Videos
03:20The Stanford Prison Experiment
The famous and controversial Stanford Prison Experiment, conducted by social psychologist Philip Zimbardo and his colleagues at Stanford University, demonstrated the power of social roles, social norms, and scripts.
01:28Conduct Disorder
Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
00:56Attribution Theory
Behavior is a product of both the situation (e.g., cultural influences, social roles, and the presence of bystanders) and of the person (e.g., personality characteristics). Subfields of psychology tend to focus on one influence or behavior over others. Situationism is the view that our behavior and actions are determined by our immediate environment and surroundings. In contrast, dispositionism holds that our behavior is determined by internal factors (Heider, 1958). An internal factor is an...
01:23Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective
In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
00:57Deindividuation
Deindividuation is a form of social influence on an individual’s behavior such that the individual engages in unusual or non-normal behavior while in a group setting. Why? Because in these group settings, the individual no longer sees themselves as an individual anymore, disinhibiting their behavior and personal restraint.
02:16Surveys
Often, psychologists develop surveys as a means of gathering data. Surveys are lists of questions to be answered by research participants, and can be delivered as paper-and-pencil questionnaires, administered electronically, or conducted verbally. Generally, the survey itself can be completed in a short time, and the ease of administering a survey makes it easy to collect data from a large number of people.