Incarcerated Women and Mental Illness: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)

A significant number of incarcerated women experience severe and persistence mental illness. Even though a sizable body of research finds that mental health can be significantly worsened during periods of incarceration, surprisingly few studies to date have explored how incarcerated women negotiate, manage, and process their clinical diagnoses while in custody. To address this research void, the current study conducted an interpretative phenomenological analysis of (n = 15) women with mental illness incarcerated in a medium-maximum security, state prison located in the Southeastern United States. Respondents cited six themes associated with these experiences: (1) Coming to terms with a diagnosis; (2) Managing mental illness; (3) The value of communication; (4) Negative impacts of mental illness; (5) Stigmatization and labeling; and (6) Isolation. Findings are discussed with reference to policy initiatives aimed at improving the mental and physical welfare of justice-involved women.