Efficacy and process of cognitive bibliotherapy for the treatment of depression in jail and prison inmates.

Abstract

The purpose of this two-study project was to determine the effects of cognitive bibliotherapy for the treatment of depressive symptoms in jail and prison inmates. Participants in both samples were randomly assigned to either a treatment group that received the 4-week bibliotherapy program or a delayed-treatment control group. In the jail sample, which served as a pilot study for the more detailed prison study, the treatment group showed greater improvement on the A. T. Beck and R. A. Steer Beck Depression Inventory, 1993, Psychological Corporation, San Antonio, TX and the DAS (M. M. Weissman, & A. T. Beck Development and validation of the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale: A preliminary investigation; paper presented at the meeting of the American Educational Research Association, November, 1978, Toronto, ON, Canada). In the prison sample, results indicated that the treatment group showed greater improvement on the HRSD (M. Hamilton, Development of a rating scale for primary depressive illness, British Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, Vol. 6, 1967, pp. 278-296) and the A. T. Beck, R. A. Steer, & G. K. Brown Beck Depression Inventory (2nd ed.), 1996, Psychological Corporation, San Antonio, TX. Approximately half of the treated participants achieved clinically significant change. Analyses of the follow-up data revealed maintenance of treatment gains in the prison and jail samples. In the prison study, significant changes were also observed on a general measure of psychological distress. Overall, results suggest that cognitive bibliotherapy may be efficacious for depressed inmates.

Substance Use Correlates of Depression among African American Male Inmates

“…35–40 We also expected to find that heroin use would be a significant correlate of depression, particularly since studies in the past have demonstrated such a correlation with other populations 41,42 and recently among inmates. 43,44 …”

Prison-Based Interventions for Early Adults with Mental Health Needs: A Systematic Review

“…The initial series of interventions, known as “first generation” interventions (Epperson et al, 2011, 2014) were designed with the intent to address mental health concerns, and as a result, reduce recidivism. Interventions included Cognitive Behavior Therapy (Berzins & Trestman, 2004; Black et al, 2008; Rohde et al, 2004; Yoon et al, 2017), group therapies (Glowa-Kollisch et al, 2014; Johnson & Zlotnick, 2008; Lynch et al, 2012; Olafson et al, 2018; Ovaert et al, 2003; Swopes et al, 2017), individual therapies (Kamath et al, 2013; Pardini et al, 2014), education (Marrow et al, 2012), activities like exercise (MacMahon & Gross, 1988), and various combinations of therapies, activities, and education (Glowa-Kollisch et al, 2016). Interventions tend to focus on three main outcomes: decreasing self-reported symptoms, decreasing physical symptoms, and increasing education and skills.…”

“…Interventions tend to focus on three main outcomes: decreasing self-reported symptoms, decreasing physical symptoms, and increasing education and skills. The majority of interventions are geared toward impacting self-reported symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicidality, and mood (Johnson & Zlotnick, 2008; Kamath et al, 2013; Lynch et al, 2012; MacMahon & Gross, 1988; Olafson et al, 2018; Ovaert et al, 2003; Pardini et al, 2014; Swopes et al, 2017; Zlotnick et al, 2003). Physical symptoms, such as aggression, self-harm, severity of substance abuse, and time on suicide watch, are another common form of assessing these interventions (Berzins & Trestman, 2004; Black et al, 2008; Glowa-Kollisch et al, 2014, 2016).…”

Quality of Life in Jail: Gender, Correlates, and Drivers in a Carceral Space

“…Feedback from men and women incarcerated in jails regarding their QOL supports intervention tailoring and may influence successful re-entry (Bouman, de Ruiter, & Schene, 2008). And treatment gains and healing have been found to be associated with reduced recidivism (Ferszt, Salgado, DeFedele, & Leveillee, 2009; Olver & Wong, 2013; Pardini et al, 2014).…”