University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
J Adv Nurs. 2022 Jul;78(7):1851-1869. doi: 10.1111/jan.15235. Epub 2022 Mar 31.
The aim of this review was to evaluate the current state of scientific knowledge describing the mental health of Black men who have experienced incarceration.
This systematic mixed studies review employed a sequential explanatory design integrating quantitative and qualitative published research.
PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Social Work and Criminal Justice databases were searched using search terms addressing core constructs of mental health, Black men, incarceration and re-entry, January 2010 through October 2021.
Articles identified through a search protocol were screened for inclusion as: peer-reviewed original research, published in English and relevant to the mental health of formerly incarcerated Black men in the United States.
Twenty-three articles met inclusion criteria. Quantitative findings demonstrated significant associations between incarceration history and poor mental health, including higher levels of psychological distress, increased severity of depressive and PTSD symptoms, and delayed mental health treatment. Discrimination, negative police encounters, solitary confinement and difficulty finding employment were associated with the relationship between incarceration and mental health outcomes. Four themes were identified from the qualitative synthesis: (1) Social Determinants of Mental Health (2) Pushing Through Emotional Despair (3) Challenges to Healthcare Engagement and (4) Gender, Race and Intersections between Social Identities.
The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world and disproportionately incarcerates Black men. This review contextualizes the relationship between incarceration history and mental health in the lived experiences and perspectives of formerly incarcerated Black men. Findings indicate the need for interventions to support mental health needs and prevent downstream health consequences in this population.
Mental health concerns are pervasive in formerly incarcerated Black men; to address key gaps in current scientific understandings future research should focus on how Black men navigate help-seeking experiences and use mental health services in the context of an incarceration history.
本综述旨在评估目前描述经历监禁的黑人男性心理健康状况的科学知识现状。
本系统混合研究综述采用了顺序解释设计，整合了定量和定性的已发表研究。
使用针对心理健康、黑人男性、监禁和重返社会的核心结构的搜索术语，在 PubMed、CINAHL、PsycINFO 和社会福利和刑事司法数据库中搜索，时间范围为 2010 年 1 月至 2021 年 10 月。
根据搜索协议确定的文章被筛选为纳入标准：同行评议的原始研究，以英文发表，与美国以前被监禁的黑人男性的心理健康相关。
有 23 篇文章符合纳入标准。定量研究结果表明，监禁历史与心理健康状况不佳之间存在显著关联，包括更高水平的心理困扰、抑郁和 PTSD 症状严重程度增加，以及精神健康治疗延迟。歧视、与警察的负面接触、单独监禁和找工作困难与监禁和心理健康结果之间的关系有关。从定性综合中确定了四个主题：（1）心理健康的社会决定因素（2）情感绝望的推动（3）医疗保健参与的挑战和（4）性别、种族和社会身份之间的交叉。
美国的监禁率居世界首位，黑人男性的监禁率过高。本综述从以前被监禁的黑人男性的生活经历和观点出发，将监禁历史与心理健康之间的关系置于背景之中。研究结果表明，需要干预措施来满足这一人群的心理健康需求，并预防下游健康后果。
心理健康问题在以前被监禁的黑人男性中普遍存在；为了解决当前科学理解中的关键差距，未来的研究应侧重于黑人男性如何在监禁历史背景下寻求帮助和使用心理健康服务。
