PRE-PRISON AND CURRENT SUICIDE IDEATION AMONG WOMEN SERVING LIFE SENTENCES

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based upon material published in the journal Criminal Justice and Behavior by Sage Publications on behalf of the International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology (IACFP). This course, including the continuing education credits are offered free of charge as a benefit to all IACFP members. Abstract: For women serving life sentences, adjustments to prison are often marked by thoughts of suicide. Many enter prison with specific vulnerabilities that place them at-risk for suicide. Using data on 214 female lifers, this research examined the extent of suicide ideation prior to incarceration as well as current suicide ideation. The relationships between pre-prison abuse, mental health indicators, prison adjustment factors, prison and family supports, and time served along with socio-demographic variables were analyzed with respect to four categories of pre-prison and current suicide ideation. Multinomial logistic regression results indicated significant group differences in suicide ideation for abuse histories, depression, family and prison supports, and education level. Among the pre-prison ideation groups, current depression, not abuse history, distinguished between women with or without current ideation. That is, the way women coped with past abuse was a stronger predictor of current suicide ideation than abuse itself. Forensic and clinical psychologists can benefit from this course. In addition, this course is appropriate for social workers and professional counselors, especially those interested in forensic psychology or those who work within the criminal justice system. This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to enhance their knowledge of risk/needs assessment tools and practitioner compliance with the use of these tools. Authors: Huey Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding suicidal ideation in women serving life sentences. Specifically, a professional will: ¿ Identify the extent of suicidal ideation prior to incarceration in women serving life sentences. ¿ Distinguish the incidence of suicidal ideation in women who are currently incarcerated for a life sentence. ¿ Describe the factors associated with suicidal ideation in this population. Come visit us on the web at www.ce-classes.com