Exploring Norwegian prison frontline workers' perceptions of inter professional collaboration - a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Public Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Interprofessional collaboration is vital for addressing prisoners' complex psychosocial needs and reducing high recidivism rates.
• Current approaches often face challenges due to linear problem-solving, siloed welfare agencies, and rigid professional boundaries.
• A lack of adequate theoretical frameworks and tools hinders effective collaboration within the prison context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore frontline staff perceptions of interprofessional collaboration in Norwegian prisons.
• To understand how collaboration influences the provision of mental health services for prisoners.
• To identify key factors affecting interprofessional collaboration in a correctional setting.

Main Methods:

• A non-experimental, cross-sectional study design was employed.
• Quantitative data were collected from frontline staff in Norwegian prison facilities.
• Descriptive and multifactorial analyses, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, were utilized.

Main Results:

• Three factors—communication, organizational culture, and domain—explained 95% of the variance in perceptions of interprofessional collaboration.
• These findings provide insights into the dynamics of collaboration within the prison mental health service system.
• Relational coordination and the PINCOM model were used as theoretical frameworks for discussion.

Conclusions:

• Effective interprofessional collaboration is essential for improving mental health services for prisoners.
• Addressing communication, organizational culture, and professional roles is key to enhancing collaborative efforts.
• This study contributes novel quantitative data on frontline staff perceptions of collaboration in Norwegian prisons.