Journal article: Time Use in Forensic Psychiatry
This article presents the results of a
time-use study for two Australian forensic patients diagnosed with
paranoid schizophrenia who were in custody for violent offenses in
two different forensic environments. During the study, both
participants moved from a prison to a newly built secure mental
health unit, and data was collected at both sites. The study was
conducted as a naturalistic inquiry and data was collected using a
48-hour time diary, semi-structured interview, the Occupational
Performance History Interview II, observation of the environment, a
review of policies governing the two settings and a staff focus
group with four health professionals. Data suggested that the
prison environment was marked by social isolation, occupational
imbalance, engagement in delusionally driven activities, and an
overall sense of fear and danger. Although these themes were not as
prevalent in the mental health unit, the participants' lives were
still dominated by sleeping, passive leisure activities, and
restricted access to normal activities of daily living.
Other findings from this study suggested it is
necessary to understand forensic patients’ individual occupational
history and illness experience to appreciate their current time
use, and its relationship to health promoting occupational
engagement. Both the OPHI-II and the time diaries proved to be
effective tools in gathering information to fully understand the
person's lived experience.
O’Connell, M., Farnworth, L. and Hanson, E.
(2010). Time Use in Forensic Psychiatry: A Naturalistic Inquiry
into Two Forensic Patients in Australia.
The International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 9(2),
101-109.