FOR-WOMEN

Background 

To be cared for as a woman in forensic psychiatric care means to relate to a specific environment, juridical aspects, the constant presence of caregivers and other patients, but especially to your own mental health and life experiences. How forensic psychiatric care is experienced by female patients is largely unknown, as is the caregivers´ experience of providing care to these women. How these, above mentioned, aspects affect the rehabilitation and the possibility to progression in the care process for women in forensic psychiatric care needs to be further investigated.

Aim

The aim of FOR-WOMEN is to illuminate the forensic psychiatric care for female inpatients with the perspective of the women themselves and their caregivers.

Method

FOR-WOMENincorporate four studies. The first two studies are qualitative and data will be collected by interviews with female inpatients (study I, N=20) and their caregivers (study II, N=20). The interviews are performed with open-ended questions, providing opportunities for the interviewees to focus on their own experiences relating to the subject at hand. Female patients will be included from different forensic psychiatric inpatient care settings in Sweden, all are cared for under the law of forensic psychiatric care. The caregivers will be recruited from different forensic psychiatric inpatient care settings in Sweden and must have worked with female patients in the last two years.

The third study is quantitative and uses self-report questionnaires (Verbal and Social Interaction, Essen Climate Evaluation Schema and Quality in Psychiatric Care-Forensic InPatient) for both women and caregivers.

The fourth and last study is as an observation study, focusing on the interaction between female inpatients and their caregivers.

Results

No results are available yet; the first study will commence during 2019-2020.

Clinical importance

The results will provide guidelines for the continued development of forensic psychiatric care for female inpatients.

Timeplan
The first study and an article with the results is expected to be completed in 2020–2021. The project then proceeds with three studies, all completed in 2024.

Supervisors
Main supervisor: Mikael Rask, associate professor Linnaeus University

Co supervisor: Ulrica Hörberg, associate professor Linnaeus University

Co supervisor: Märta Wallinius, associate professor Lund University and head of department, Research Department, Regional Forensic Psychiatric Clinic, Växjö.

Fundings:
The project is funded by FORTE (Dnr 2018-01409), FoU Kronoberg (Dnr 898631) and FORSS (Dnr 930763).