Novel Psychoactive Substances in Custodial Settings: A Mixed Method Investigation on the Experiences of People in Prison and Professionals Working With Them

Frontiers in Psychiatry
Ornella CorazzaGiuseppe Bersani

Abstract

Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS), especially Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists (SCRAs), pose a substantial challenge to health and the security of the prison environment. This study analyses the phenomenon from the perspective of people in prison and that of professionals working with them. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used to analyze self-reported experiences with 'Spice' (NPS) among users in prison. A semi-structured questionnaire was also disseminated among professionals working in these settings to better understand (a) the impact of NPS on their work; (b) perceived issues on safety in their working environment; (c) approaches used to tackle the phenomenon and best practices. Psychotic events resulting from the collected Spice accounts (5) were marked by hallucinations, depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideations. Other emerging elements included fear, paranoia, inability to be with others, mistrust, breakdown and other risky behaviors. Overall, 186 responses from prison staff were collected across the country. 67% claimed NPS to have had a deep impact on their work as they commonly witnessed espisodes involving outbursts of anger, slurred speech, hallucinations, psychosis, and significant mental d...Continue Reading

References

Feb 15, 2008·Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica·Giovanni Stanghellini, Massimo Ballerini
Aug 19, 2014·BioMed Research International·Giovanni MartinottiMassimo di Giannantonio
Dec 14, 2016·The International Journal on Drug Policy·Rob RalphsAnna Norton
Nov 27, 2019·British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology·John Martin CorkeryGiovanni Martinotti

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Citations

Aug 21, 2021·Occupational Medicine·G Kinman, A J Clements

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Software Mentioned

Qualtrics
Spice

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