458
Views
13
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research & Evaluation

Effectiveness of self-help materials for anxiety adapted for use in prison – a pilot study

, , , , , & show all
Pages 262-271 | Published online: 13 Aug 2009
 

Abstract

Background: Self-help materials can be effective for anxiety and depression in community settings, but there is little research on their use in prisons.

Aim: A pilot study to investigate the effectiveness of self-help materials for the treatment of anxiety and depression in an adult male prison population.

Method: Participants were assigned to the depression or anxiety group depending on their symptom profile. Within these groups they were randomly assigned to the intervention (received self-help immediately) or waiting list control group (received self-help after 4 weeks). Participants completed self-report outcome measures at baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks.

Results: For most of the prisoners referred into the study, anxiety, not depression, was their predominant symptom. The study suggests that prisoners can receive at least short-term benefits in anxiety reduction through a self-help booklet delivered in a healthcare setting. The effect size of the anxiety booklet intervention was large.

Conclusions: Self-help materials are a promising approach for people with anxiety problems in a custodial setting. Further studies are necessary to expand upon these pilot data.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 989.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.