Patients’ experiences of forensic mental health inpatient care: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative literature
The Journal of Forensic Practice
ISSN: 2050-8794
Article publication date: 12 July 2023
Issue publication date: 13 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of the experience of secure care from the patients’ perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review of qualitative literature was conducted. The data was sourced from the electronic databases: PsychINFO, CINAHL, Medline and the Web of Science Core Collection using pre-defined search terms. A total of 17 studies, conducted in various countries worldwide and covering high, medium and low secure inpatient settings, were included for review. The analysis involved integrating findings from across the literature and was guided by thematic synthesis.
Findings
A total of eight themes were generated from the data, three of which provided an understanding of the experience of forensic secure care, and the remaining five themes provided an understanding of the factors which may influence the experience of secure care.
Practical implications
Developing understanding of patient experience can lead to service improvements, potentially impacting patients’ motivation and engagement and thus reducing admission times, potential recalls and recidivism.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic review to date to exclusively explore the broad topic of the patient experience of secure mental health care.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the University of Southampton and Southern Health Foundation Trust.
The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.
Citation
Humphries, K., Clarke, C., Willoughby, K. and Smithson, J. (2023), "Patients’ experiences of forensic mental health inpatient care: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative literature", The Journal of Forensic Practice, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 305-320. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-03-2023-0007
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited