Addison Helena A, Richmond Therese S, Ghose Toorjo, Jacoby Sara F
School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; National Clinicians Scholars Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Soc Sci Med. 2025 Sep;380:118244. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118244. Epub 2025 May 25.
Black men in the United States face high incarceration rates and formerly incarcerated Black men (FIBM) have worse mental health outcomes than Black men who have never been incarcerated. Incarceration is a driver of population health inequities and as such, its role in contributing to negative mental health outcomes must be examined within FIBM's broader social, environmental, and historical context. The purpose of this study was to examine FIBM's perceptions of mental health broadly, and in relation to their lived experiences with incarceration. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 FIBM in Philadelphia, PA. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze interview transcripts. Five themes were generated in analysis: 1) "Defining mental health" 2) "Mental health harms during incarceration," 3) "Incarceration and its harms persist," 4) "Redefined relationships and roles," and 5) "Navigating place." Together these themes reveal the extent to which mental health of FIBM is influenced by social, environmental, and structural aspects of their individual lived experiences, which is largely shaped by the shared experience of incarceration. Incarceration has a direct and persistent impact on FIBM's mental health and lived experiences, and a pervasive influence on the larger context in which they are embedded, including their social relationships and physical environment. It is essential to examine the mental health of FIBM through the context created and influenced by incarceration to effectively understand and address their mental health needs.
美国黑人面临着较高的监禁率，曾经被监禁的黑人男性（FIBM）的心理健康状况比从未被监禁的黑人男性更差。监禁是导致人口健康不平等的一个因素，因此，必须在FIBM更广泛的社会、环境和历史背景下审视其在导致负面心理健康结果方面所起的作用。本研究的目的是广泛考察FIBM对心理健康的看法，以及与他们的监禁经历之间的关系。对宾夕法尼亚州费城的29名FIBM进行了深入的半结构化访谈。采用反思性主题分析法对访谈记录进行分析。分析中产生了五个主题：1）“界定心理健康”；2）“监禁期间的心理健康危害”；3）“监禁及其危害持续存在”；4）“重新定义的关系和角色”；5）“适应环境”。这些主题共同揭示了FIBM的心理健康在多大程度上受到其个人生活经历的社会、环境和结构方面的影响，而这种影响在很大程度上是由监禁的共同经历塑造的。监禁对FIBM的心理健康和生活经历有直接和持续的影响，并对他们所处的更大背景，包括他们的社会关系和物理环境产生普遍影响。通过监禁所创造和影响的背景来审视FIBM的心理健康，对于有效理解和满足他们的心理健康需求至关重要。
