Aboriginal mothers in prison in Australia: a study of social, emotional and physical wellbeing

Elizabeth A Sullivan; Sacha Kendall; Sungwon Chang; Eileen Baldry; Reem Zeki; Marisa Gilles; Mandy Wilson; Tony Butler; Michael Levy; Sarah Wayland; Patricia Cullen; Jocelyn Jones; Juanita Sherwood

doi:10.1111/1753-6405.12892

Aboriginal mothers in prison in Australia: a study of social, emotional and physical wellbeing

Elizabeth A Sullivan, Sacha Kendall, Sungwon Chang, Eileen Baldry, Reem Zeki, Marisa Gilles, Mandy Wilson, Tony Butler, Michael Levy, Sarah Wayland, Patricia Cullen, Jocelyn Jones, Juanita Sherwood

School of Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

32 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: To describe the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of Aboriginal mothers in prison.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey, including a Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (5-item version) administered to Aboriginal women who self-identified as mothers.

Results: Seventy-seven Aboriginal mothers in New South Wales (NSW) and 84 in Western Australia (WA) participated in the study. Eighty-three per cent (n=59) of mothers in NSW were in prison for drug-related offences, 64.8% (n=46) of mothers in WA were in prison for offences committed under the influence of alcohol. Sixty-eight per cent (n=52) of mothers in NSW and 35% (n=28) of mothers in WA reported mental health problems. Physical (PCS) and Mental (MCS) component scores of SF-12 varied for mothers in NSW and WA. Mothers in NSW experienced poorer health and functioning than mothers in WA (NSW: PCS 49.5, MCS 40.6; WA: PCS 54.4, MCS 48.3) and high levels of psychological distress (NSW: 13.1; WA 10.1).

Conclusions: Aboriginal mothers in prison have significant health needs associated with physical and mental health, and psychological distress.

Implications for public health: Adoption of social and emotional wellbeing as an explanatory framework for culturally secure healthcare in prison is essential to improving health outcomes of Aboriginal mothers in prison in Australia.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	241-247
Journal	Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
Volume	43
Issue number	3
Early online date	17 Apr 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12892
Publication status	Published - Jun 2019

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

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https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/52638Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

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Sullivan, E. A., Kendall, S., Chang, S., Baldry, E., Zeki, R., Gilles, M., Wilson, M., Butler, T., Levy, M., Wayland, S., Cullen, P., Jones, J., & Sherwood, J. (2019). Aboriginal mothers in prison in Australia: a study of social, emotional and physical wellbeing. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 43(3), 241-247. https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12892

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title = "Aboriginal mothers in prison in Australia: a study of social, emotional and physical wellbeing",

abstract = "Objective: To describe the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of Aboriginal mothers in prison. Methods: Cross-sectional survey, including a Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (5-item version) administered to Aboriginal women who self-identified as mothers. Results: Seventy-seven Aboriginal mothers in New South Wales (NSW) and 84 in Western Australia (WA) participated in the study. Eighty-three per cent (n=59) of mothers in NSW were in prison for drug-related offences, 64.8\% (n=46) of mothers in WA were in prison for offences committed under the influence of alcohol. Sixty-eight per cent (n=52) of mothers in NSW and 35\% (n=28) of mothers in WA reported mental health problems. Physical (PCS) and Mental (MCS) component scores of SF-12 varied for mothers in NSW and WA. Mothers in NSW experienced poorer health and functioning than mothers in WA (NSW: PCS 49.5, MCS 40.6; WA: PCS 54.4, MCS 48.3) and high levels of psychological distress (NSW: 13.1; WA 10.1). Conclusions: Aboriginal mothers in prison have significant health needs associated with physical and mental health, and psychological distress. Implications for public health: Adoption of social and emotional wellbeing as an explanatory framework for culturally secure healthcare in prison is essential to improving health outcomes of Aboriginal mothers in prison in Australia.",

author = "Sullivan, \{Elizabeth A\} and Sacha Kendall and Sungwon Chang and Eileen Baldry and Reem Zeki and Marisa Gilles and Mandy Wilson and Tony Butler and Michael Levy and Sarah Wayland and Patricia Cullen and Jocelyn Jones and Juanita Sherwood",

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AU - Baldry, Eileen

AU - Zeki, Reem

AU - Gilles, Marisa

AU - Wilson, Mandy

AU - Butler, Tony

AU - Levy, Michael

AU - Wayland, Sarah

AU - Cullen, Patricia

AU - Jones, Jocelyn

AU - Sherwood, Juanita

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N2 - Objective: To describe the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of Aboriginal mothers in prison. Methods: Cross-sectional survey, including a Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (5-item version) administered to Aboriginal women who self-identified as mothers. Results: Seventy-seven Aboriginal mothers in New South Wales (NSW) and 84 in Western Australia (WA) participated in the study. Eighty-three per cent (n=59) of mothers in NSW were in prison for drug-related offences, 64.8% (n=46) of mothers in WA were in prison for offences committed under the influence of alcohol. Sixty-eight per cent (n=52) of mothers in NSW and 35% (n=28) of mothers in WA reported mental health problems. Physical (PCS) and Mental (MCS) component scores of SF-12 varied for mothers in NSW and WA. Mothers in NSW experienced poorer health and functioning than mothers in WA (NSW: PCS 49.5, MCS 40.6; WA: PCS 54.4, MCS 48.3) and high levels of psychological distress (NSW: 13.1; WA 10.1). Conclusions: Aboriginal mothers in prison have significant health needs associated with physical and mental health, and psychological distress. Implications for public health: Adoption of social and emotional wellbeing as an explanatory framework for culturally secure healthcare in prison is essential to improving health outcomes of Aboriginal mothers in prison in Australia.

AB - Objective: To describe the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of Aboriginal mothers in prison. Methods: Cross-sectional survey, including a Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (5-item version) administered to Aboriginal women who self-identified as mothers. Results: Seventy-seven Aboriginal mothers in New South Wales (NSW) and 84 in Western Australia (WA) participated in the study. Eighty-three per cent (n=59) of mothers in NSW were in prison for drug-related offences, 64.8% (n=46) of mothers in WA were in prison for offences committed under the influence of alcohol. Sixty-eight per cent (n=52) of mothers in NSW and 35% (n=28) of mothers in WA reported mental health problems. Physical (PCS) and Mental (MCS) component scores of SF-12 varied for mothers in NSW and WA. Mothers in NSW experienced poorer health and functioning than mothers in WA (NSW: PCS 49.5, MCS 40.6; WA: PCS 54.4, MCS 48.3) and high levels of psychological distress (NSW: 13.1; WA 10.1). Conclusions: Aboriginal mothers in prison have significant health needs associated with physical and mental health, and psychological distress. Implications for public health: Adoption of social and emotional wellbeing as an explanatory framework for culturally secure healthcare in prison is essential to improving health outcomes of Aboriginal mothers in prison in Australia.

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Aboriginal mothers in prison in Australia: a study of social, emotional and physical wellbeing

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