Exploring Prisoners' Perspectives on Mental Health Services and Staff Behavior in Pakistani Prisons: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Cases of extreme mental health issues among the prison population are a worldwide occurrence with studies exhibiting that prisoners experience considerably more mental disorder. This study was carried out on opinions on Mental Health Services in Jail and employee behavior offered in jails. The small qualitative research now commonly concentrates on opinions of the prisoners concerning the Mental Health services and conduct of the personnel towards the treatment in the jail of Pakistan. Readers should be prepared to accept the defined 5 sampled individuals using Convenient Sampling and analyzing the semi-structured interviews with the help of Thematic Analysis Approach that incorporates the following areas: compromised healthcare and loss of autonomy, unequal treatment of the prisoners, their low self-esteem, unfairness, staff attitude, unhealthy living conditions with isolation and absence of cognitive stimulation. There is, therefore, a necessity to explore how this environment may increase the mental discomfort in this society. Inmates also think that the atmosphere in the prisons negatively affected their mental state. Staying in prison has the chance of delivering mental services to persons in the hard to reach group. Health and social needs are usually very high among the prisoners, yet little has been researched on opinions and experience of the prisoners concerning mental health in prison. Mental health services have also been viewed by prisoners as being part of an individual prison experience, which commences upon being imprisoned and concludes on a release.