Introduction
Mental health nurses working with males who self-harm in prison face many challenges. It is estimated that around one-third of male prisoners self-harm, leading to significant psychological distress, physical injury, and even death. Anxiety is a common cause of self-harming behavior, and mental health nurses are uniquely positioned to provide support and guidance for this population. This proposed intervention aims to provide mental health nurses with the tools and strategies to help manage anxiety in this population and reduce the incidence of self-harm.
Rationale
This study intends to provide coping strategies for anxiety to mental health nurses (MHNs) who work with self-harming adult male inmates. As recommended by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), this will aid nurses in gaining the resilience and self-assurance needed to deliver patient-centered care that aids in the recovery of offenders or patients in situations with diverse cultures. While discussing the problems and difficulties that MHNs have in these contexts, safety considerations are commonly raised (Bell et al., 2019; Desk, 2019). The study will also look at how stress affects nurses and identify any knowledge gaps and practical difficulties faced by MHNs based on research. The environment affects the daily duties that forensic MHLNs carry out.
Additionally, it will discuss how crucial it is to manage stress and seek assistance while working with patients or offenders at risk of self-harm. Self-harm and violent behavior in prison systems in England and Wales have escalated to record levels with substantial financial and social implications (Edge et al., 2020). Males under 30 self-harm less frequently than men over 30, but younger adult men self-harm more frequently (Gov. UK, 2021; Webster, 2018). At penal facilities, there were 288 fatalities, including 66 from self-inflicted injuries, 179 from natural causes, and 23 from COVID-19 (Tofthagen et al., 2021). This is a true observation since 32% of violent males also engaged in self-harm, whereas 60% of self-harming men also engaged in custodial violence (Smith et al., 2019). Self-harm is the main cause of mortality among inmates and happens in prisons for a variety of causes. Prisoners are more prone to self-harm when they experience stress, depression, and other mental health issues. A history of drug and alcohol abuse and certain emotions like apathy, grief, despair, self-doubt, responsibility, and self-criticism lead to self-harm.
Objectives
Mental health nurses working with male prisoners who self-harm can play a vital role in providing anxiety management tools and interventions that can lead to improved mental health outcomes. The proposed intervention focuses on providing these individuals with resources, education, and support to reduce the risk of self-harm and improve overall mental health. This approach will comprehensively assess the individual’s mental health needs and strengths to create a tailored care plan. The aims include reducing the risk of self-harm and improving overall mental health outcomes. To achieve this goal, the intervention will include the following objectives:
- Provide education and resources to male prisoners who self-harm to increase their understanding of the risks associated with self-harm and the importance of seeking help.
- To develop an anxiety management plan that meets their needs and ensures individualized care and support to self-harm male prisoners.
- Develop and implement evidence-based interventions and strategies that reduce the risk of self-harm and improve the mental health of male prisoners who self-harm.
- Work collaboratively with other mental health professionals and treatment providers to ensure a comprehensive approach to addressing the mental health needs of self-harm male prisoners.
- Monitor the progress of male prisoners who self-harm to assess the intervention’s effectiveness and make necessary adjustments as needed. At any moment, a patient’s or offender’s peace of mind might be replaced by extreme agitation and violent behavior against other patients and medical personnel (Caputo, 2020). The proposed intervention will be implemented over time to meet the goals and objectives (Maguire et al., 2022). The initial focus will be on providing education and resources to male prisoners who self-harm to increase their understanding of the risks associated with self-harm and the importance of seeking help.
This will be followed by individualized care and support to develop an anxiety management plan that meets their needs. Once the plan has been developed, evidence-based interventions and strategies will be implemented to reduce the risk of self-harm and improve the mental health of male prisoners who self-harm (Moran, 2019). The mental health nurses will also work collaboratively with other mental health professionals and treatment providers to ensure a comprehensive approach to addressing the mental health needs of male self-harm prisoners (Moran et al., 2022). Finally, the progress of the self-harm male prisoners will be monitored to assess the intervention’s effectiveness and make necessary adjustments. Overall, the proposed intervention focuses on providing resources, education, and support to male prisoners who self-harm to reduce the risk of self-harm and improve overall mental health outcomes. Through this comprehensive approach, mental health nurses can provide effective anxiety management tools and interventions that ultimately improve mental health outcomes for male self-harm prisoners.
Context
The proposed intervention for supporting mental health nurses working with males who self-harm in prison is to provide them with anxiety management tools. This intervention is intended to help male prisoners struggling with self-harming behaviors and struggling to regulate their emotions (Prisoners and self harm, n.d.). The purpose of this intervention is to assist these individuals in managing their anxiety and developing healthier coping skills. The first step in this intervention is to provide mental health nurses with training on the various available anxiety management tools. This will include information on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), relaxation techniques, and mindfulness-based strategies (Perrins et al., 2021). Nurses will learn to utilize these strategies with their clients to help them cope with their anxiety (Hunt et al., 2020). In holistic nursing, staff resilience is increased via life reflection groups, daily self-care, self-compassion, accountability, and spirituality (Biddle et al., 2018). Self-care for nurses lessens stress at work (Hilcove et al., 2020). The training should also include information on recognizing when a client struggles with anxiety and how to intervene appropriately.
The second step is to create an environment conducive to using these anxiety management tools. This includes having a safe and comfortable space for the nurse and the client to work together (Standards, n.d.). It also involves providing resources such as books and materials on anxiety management and access to online resources (Østervang et al., 2021). The environment should also be supportive and non-judgmental (McGough et al., 2020). The third step is to provide individualized support to the client. This includes helping the client identify their triggers and the strategies they can use to cope with their anxiety. It also involves teaching the client how to use the anxiety management tools they have been taught (Zulu et al., 2021). The nurse should also work with the client to develop a plan for when their anxiety becomes overwhelming and how to address it healthily.
Finally, the nurse should monitor the client’s progress and provide ongoing support. This includes providing feedback on their strategies and helping them stay motivated to use the anxiety management tools. Overall, this intervention is designed to help male prisoners struggling with self-harming behaviors and struggling to regulate their emotions. The goal is to provide mental health nurses with the tools and resources to work with these individuals and help them manage their anxiety (Sutherland et al., 2021). This intervention has the potential to make a significant impact on the lives of these individuals and help them lead healthier, more productive lives.
Intervention
The proposed intervention is to support mental health nurses working with males who self-harm in prison by providing anxiety management tools. Anxiety is a common mental health condition experienced by inmates and can lead to self-harming behavior (Garvey et al., 2020). This proposed intervention strives to reduce the prevalence of self-harming behaviors in prison by providing mental health nurses with the tools to manage anxiety in inmates effectively.
The first step of this intervention is to assess the inmate’s mental health needs, including any factors contributing to the inmate’s anxiety. Current assessment should include reviewing past mental health records, interviews with the inmate, and discussions with prison staff (Smith et al., 2019). It will provide a comprehensive picture of the inmate’s mental health needs and allow the mental health nurse to develop a tailored treatment plan (Department of Health and Social Care, 2017). The second step of this intervention is to provide the inmate with anxiety management tools and techniques. These tools should include relaxation techniques, cognitive-behavioral therapy, biofeedback, and other evidence-based treatments (Read the professional duty of candour, n.d.). The mental health nurse should work with the inmate to develop an individualized plan for managing their anxiety. This plan should include setting realistic goals, establishing healthy coping strategies, and providing support and guidance.
The third step of this intervention is to provide follow-up and monitoring of the inmate’s progress. This includes regular check-ins with the inmate, monitoring symptoms and self-harm behavior, and providing feedback and support as needed (Ventura et al., 2021). The mental health nurse should also provide education and training to prison staff on how to best support inmates with anxiety. The ultimate goal of this intervention is to reduce the prevalence of self-harming behaviors in prisons by providing mental health nurses with the tools to manage anxiety in inmates effectively (Read the professional duty of candor, n.d.). By providing tailored interventions to inmates with anxiety, mental health nurses can help reduce the likelihood of self-harm (Hewson et al.,2020). This intervention can improve inmates’ mental health, well-being, and ability to cope with their environment.
Plan
The plan for this proposed intervention includes the following steps:
- Recruit and train mental health nurses
- Develop and implement anxiety management strategies
- Provide education and training to mental health nurses
- Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention
- Provide follow-up support to male inmates
Team Structure and Roles
The team involved in this project will include mental health nurses, prison staff, and other stakeholders such as family members and community partners. The mental health nurses will deliver the intervention and support the male inmates (Leddie et al., 2021). Treatment is improved, and suicidal thoughts are decreased through communication and interpersonal skills (Boukouvalas et al., 2019). The prison staff will be responsible for ensuring the safety of the inmates and providing support to the mental health nurses (Ratcliffe & Stenfert Kroese, 2020). The family members and community partners will provide additional support and resources to the inmates.
Risk Management
The risks associated with this project include potential safety concerns for the inmates and mental health nurses and potential challenges related to implementing the intervention. To minimize these risks, the team must ensure that all safety protocols are in place and that the mental health nurses are adequately trained to provide the intervention (Houser et al., 2019). According to Cramer et al. (2020), research on suicide prevention training and therapeutic connections will be more fruitful if a caring approach is kept. The team must also regularly monitor and evaluate the intervention to ensure it is implemented effectively.
Evaluation
The evaluation of this project will include both outcome and process evaluations. The outcome evaluation will assess the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing the incidence of self-harm and improving the mental health and well-being of male inmates (NHS, n.d.). The process evaluation will assess the implementation of the intervention (Schultz, 2021). It includes the education and training of mental health nurses, the effectiveness of anxiety management strategies, and the follow-up support provided to male inmates (Sousa et al., 2019). Both outcome and process evaluations will be used to assess the project’s success and identify areas for improvement.
Conclusion
Overall, to lower the prevalence of self-harm, this study intends to offer coping mechanisms for anxiety to mental health nurses dealing with adult male self-harming inmates. Using anxiety management techniques and treatments by mental health nurses working with male inmates who self-harm can lower the likelihood of self-harm and enhance general mental health outcomes. This intervention aims to minimize the risk of self-harm and enhance overall mental health outcomes for male inmates who self-harm by offering them resources, information, and support.
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