Preliminary evaluation of personality disorder awareness workshops for prison staff

Abstract

Purpose -Positive professional attitudes towards personality-disordered clients have been linked with extensive clinical and strategic benefits. The largest influences upon such attitudes are associated with staff training, supervision and support. This preliminary evaluation seeks to consider the effect of an introductory personality disorder awareness workshop upon trainees' attitudes towards personality disordered prisoners.Design/methodology/approach -The attitude towards personality disorder questionnaire (APDQ) was administered to prison staff (predominantly prison officers) immediately before the workshop and then re-tested, on average, two months later.Findings -The study sample (n ¼ 26) showed significant improvements on the ''security versus vulnerability'' APDQ sub-scale. The remaining four sub-scales and overall APDQ scores showed no significant change.Practical implications -The findings indicate that personality disorder awareness training should initially engage with trainees' perceptions of their personal security and vulnerability when working with this client group, rather than aiming to increase liking, enjoyment and acceptance of such offenders.Originality/value -This study marks a preliminary analysis of a new personality disorder awareness training programme.

Clinician attitudes towards borderline personality disorder: A 15‐year comparison

“…The APDQ showed strong internal consistency, α = 0.88. It has been used in similar studies with consistent results . A short 10‐item version of the APDQ was used in this study that consists of items that cover representative positive and negative attitudes towards people with a personality disorder.…”

Improving Attitudes Towards Personality Disorder: Is Training for Health and Social Care Professionals Effective?

“…One study showed a moderate effect size for attitude towards personality disorder generally (Polnay et al, 2015), and one showed a moderate effect size for attitudes towards BPD (Knaak et al, 2015). The remaining studies all showed significant improvements with small effect sizes post-intervention (Clark, Fox, & Long, 2015;Commons-Treloar & Lewis, 2008;Keuroghlian et al, 2016;Krawitz, 2004;Maltman & Hamilton, 2011;Shanks et al, 2011;Welstead et al, 2018), or significant improvements with unknown effect sizes (Ebrahim et al, 2016). Non-significant findings were shown for empathic concern in one study that targeted attitudes towards BPD in a forensic setting (Clark, Fox, & Long, 2015).…”

“…Of these seven, five found that improvements in attitudes were maintained (Clark, Fox, & Long, 2015;S. R. Fraser, 2001;Lamph et al, 2018;Maltman & Hamilton, 2011;Miller & Davenport, 1996). In both Davies et al (2014) and Lamph et al (2014), the improvement for the PD-KASQ "capabilities" subscale (PD-KASQ-C) was not maintained at 3 months.…”

“…Ten studies were known to not include a skills component at all. Of these ten, all led to improved attitudes with effect sizes ranging from small (Clark, Taylor, Bolderston, 2015;Commons-Treloar, 2009;Commons-Treloar & Lewis, 2008;Keuroghlian et al, 2016;Maltman & Hamilton, 2011;Shanks et al, 2011) to moderate (Commons-Treloar, 2009;Lamph et al, 2018;Miller & Davenport, 1996;Shanks et al, 2011), to large (Dickens et al, 2018;Lamph et al, 2018). Four studies evaluated an intervention that was co-produced with PPE.…”

Mental health/illness and prisons as place: Frontline clinicians׳ perspectives of mental health work in a penal setting

“…The possibility of cultural resistance to any mental health awareness training is to be considered. Maltman and Hamilton (2011) evaluate personality disorder awareness workshops for prison staff and conclude professional attitudes are crucial. 'Positive professional attitudes towards personality disordered clients have been linked with extensive clinical and strategic benefits.…”