The Prevention of Suicide in Prison

Suicide is considered to be the leading cause of preventable death in prisons. The increasingly expansive literature examining, in ever closer detail, the various risk factors associated with a likelihood of eventual prison suicide has failed to lead to successful prevention programmes. An alternative approach is needed that seeks to understand, at the individual level, what leads a prisoner to contemplate ending their own life as the only solution to their problematic and distressing situation. This book describes how the authors developed such a conceptualisation of the vulnerable prisoner, which then informed the development and delivery of evidence-based psychological interventions for suicide prevention in prison.

Daniel Pratt is Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at Manchester University, UK, and a Clinical Psychologist at the Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust (MMHSCT), UK.

1. Suicide in Prisons: Introducing the problems Daniel Pratt 2. The Epidemiology of Prison Suicide Daniel Pratt 3. Psychological Models of Suicidal Ideation and Behaviour Patricia Gooding and Daniel Pratt 4. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Suicidal Prisoners Daniel Pratt 5. Problem-Solving Training for Suicidal Prisoners Amanda Perry, Mitch Waterman and Allan House 6. Forensic Patient and Public Involvement: The development and maintenance of an ex-offender service user reference group Yvonne Awenat 7. Overcoming the Challenges of Implementing Psychological Interventions for the Prevention of Suicide in a Prison Setting Daniel Pratt 8. Improving the Delivery of Psychological Therapy within a Male High Security Prison: A qualitative enquiry Fiona Ulph 9. Concluding Reflections Daniel Pratt.