Table 1.
Summary characteristics of included studies
| Study (year) country | Data type | Data collection methods | Setting | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bantjes et al (2017)38 South Africa | Qualitative | Semi-structured face-to-face interviews | One medium and one maximum security correctional centre in Cape Town | Ten health professionals |
| Howard League for Penal Reform (2017)39 UK | Qualitative | Interviews and focus groups | Eight prisons ranging from Category A to C, and six NHS Trusts | Unknown sample size of multidisciplinary prison staff, including managers, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, safer custody officers and independent clinical reviewers |
| Kenning et al (2010)40 UK | Qualitative | Semi-structured interviews | Women's prison in North-West England | 15 prison staff, including eight discipline staff, five healthcare staff and two governors |
| Ludlow et al (2015)41 UK | Qualitative | Semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and intensive participant observation | Five prisons, including two male local Category B prisons, one male adults/young offenders, one male adult and young offenders and one female adults/ young offenders prison | 47 multidisciplinary prison staff (interviews), five staff focus groups, and staff members participating in 15 ACCT reviews |
| Marzano (2007)42 UK | Qualitative | Semi-structured interviews | Local male prison in South-East England | 38 prison staff, including 15 prison officers, 15 healthcare staff and eight specialists |
| Marzano et al (2013)43 UK | Qualitative | Semi-structured face-to-face interviews | Male prison in South-East England for adult and young offenders | 30 correctional staff, including 15 officers, 13 nurses and two doctors |
| Moore et al (2010)44 UK | Qualitative | Semi-structured interviews | Women's remand prison | Seven prison officers and eight clinically qualified staff |
| Ramluggun (2013)45 UK | Qualitative | Semi-structured interviews, questionnaire and documentary evidence review | Category B adult male prison | 37 prison staff, including nursing staff, prison officers, managers and the governor |
| Rivlin (2007)46 UK | Qualitative | Semi-structured face-to-face interviews | Category B adult male prison | 13 prison staff, including two nurses, one psychologist and ten prison officers |
| Rivlin (2010)47 UK | Qualitative | 10-week period of participant observation and semi-structured interviews | Category B adult male prison | 13 prison staff, including two nurses, one psychologist and ten prison officers |
| Short et al (2009)48 UK | Qualitative | Semi-structured interviews | Women's prison in North England for adult and young offenders | 13 prison staff, including eight prison officers and five healthcare staff |
| Smith et al (2019)9 USA | Qualitative | Semi-structured telephone interviews | Various USA state prisons | 41 prison staff, including directors, administrators, psychiatrists and psychologists |
| Sweeney et al (2018)49 UK | Qualitative | Semi-structured interviews | Category B male prison in Yorkshire | Nine prison officers with experience of working with offenders who had engaged in suicidal behaviour |
| Tait (2011)50 UK | Qualitative | Interviews, participant observation and questionnaire | One rural local prison for females, and one urban local prison for males | 24 male and 21 female prison officers with direct responsibilities for supervising prisoners |
| Walker et al (2016)51 UK | Qualitative | Semi-structured face-to-face interviews | Three closed-category women's adult English prisons | 14 prison staff, including ten officers, one governor and three healthcare staff |
| Walker et al (2017)52 UK | Qualitative | Semi-structured face-to-face interviews | Three closed-category female adult English prisons | 14 prison staff, including ten officers, one governor and three healthcare staff |
| Callahan (2004)53 USA | Quantitative | Survey | A large mid-Western state Department of Corrections | 1877 correctional officers attending mental health training |
| Cassidy and Bruce (2019)54 UK | Quantitative | Self-report survey | One prison (category and gender not stated) | 211 correctional staff |
| Garbutt and Casey (2015)55 UK | Quantitative | Survey | Two high-security UK prisons | 97 prison employees, including officers, managers, psychologists, offender supervisors and chaplains |
| Ireland and Quinn (2007)56 UK | Quantitative | Survey | Prison service college | 162 prison officers from various establishments |
| Pannell et al (2003)30 Australia | Quantitative | Surveys | 1 male prison and 1 male remand facility in South Australia | 76 correctional officers |
| Slade and Lopresti (2013)57 UK | Quantitative | Survey | Six English prisons: two category B male local prisons, one male category C prison, one female closed prison and two young offender closed establishments | 281 prison officers, custodial managers, governors and operational support grades |
| Smith and Kaminski (2010)58 USA | Quantitative | Survey | 473 state correctional facilities encompassing multiple security levels and all genders | 230 correctional staff, including 205 mental health staff, 13 managerial roles and 12 unspecified positions |
| Sousa et al (2019)59 Portugal | Quantitative | Survey | Three prisons in North Portugal | 176 prison officers |
| Wood-Schultz (2012)60 USA | Quantitative | Surveys | American Correctional Association | 84 members of the American Correctional Association, including correctional personnel, mental health workers and medical personnel |
| Wright et al (2006)61 UK | Quantitative | Surveys | UK Prison Service | 49 prison officers identified as having been closely involved in a prisoner suicide |
| Cresswell et al (2018)62 UK | Qualitative and quantitative | Survey, interviews and documentary analysis | One women's prison in England | 68 prison staff for survey and 13 for interviews |
| DeHart et al (2009)63 USA | Qualitative and quantitative | Survey and semi-structured telephone interviews | 14 correctional facilities across South Carolina, including all security levels and both male and female prisons | 54 (survey) and 18 (interview) correctional mental health professionals |
| Liebling et al (2005)64 UK | Qualitative and quantitative | Surveys, interviews and review of institutional performance data and suicide figures | 12 UK prisons, including two male local prisons, two closed female remand and training prisons, four male local and remand prisons, two male closed YOI and remand centres, one closed female remand and training prison and one male local and remand prison | 1301 and 1365 multidisciplinary prison staff completed surveys in 2002 and 2004, respectively |
| Ward and Bailey (2011)65 UK | Quantitative and qualitative | Staff training records, process mapping events, surveys and semi-structured interviews | UK women's prison | 68 prison staff (surveys) and 13 prison staff (interviews), including discipline staff and multidisciplinary groups involving education, psychology, healthcare, drug workers and chaplaincy |
| Ward and Bailey (2013)66 UK | Quantitative and qualitative | Staff training records, process mapping events, surveys and semi-structured interviews | UK women's prison | 68 prison staff (surveys) and 13 prison staff (interviews), including discipline staff and multidisciplinary groups involving education, psychology, healthcare, drug workers and chaplaincy |
| Ward (2014)67 UK | Quantitative and qualitative | Survey, interviews and process-mapping | Women's prison in England | 68 prison staff (survey) and 13 prison staff (interviews), including prison officers and multidisciplinary groups |
NHS, National Health Service; ACCT, Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork processes; YOI, young offender institute.