Evaluation of a comedy intervention to improve coping and help-seeking for mental health problems in a women's prison

• DOI: 10.3109/09540261.2014.924096
• Publication Date: 2014-08-19T14:43:30Z
• Authors: Steve Wright; Maya Twardzicki; Fabio Gomez; Claire Henderson
• Keywords: Comedy

Rates of mental illness and self-harm are very high among women prisoners. Questionnaires assessed prisoners' knowledge attitudes towards health problems, relevant behavioural intentions before after the intervention, to evaluate effectiveness a comedy show in women's prison reduce stigma improve coping help-seeking for problems. The intervention appeared have been successful improving some aspects about psychotherapy (Z = − 2.304, p 0.021) likelihood recovery from problems 2.699, 0.007). There were significant post-intervention increases proportion who stated they would discuss or disclose with all but one sources help questionnaire, which was consistent number prisoners rated themselves as likely start using different activities. no improvement associate people problem. effective factors that might increase coping, not those change behaviour others