Clinicians’ Perception of Inmates’ Satisfaction with Mental Health Services

Abstract

A growing body of literature addresses the mental health needs of prison inmates; however, very little research has examined mental health services among this population. Based on the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use (Andersen Model), the current study examined clinicians’ perception of inmates’ satisfaction with mental health services. The study’s main objective was to identify the effect of three major groups of predictor variables (predisposing, enabling, and need) on clinicians’ perception with inmates’ satisfaction with mental health services. The study utilized an exploratory, survey methodology. Although only a few variables were found to be statistically significant in the multivariate analyses, the findings of the study are a significant step in beginning to understand satisfaction of mental health services by inmates. The link between satisfaction and treatment outcome has great significance in the correctional environment, where staff and inmates may tend to see each other as adversaries.