Testing a Behavioral Health Literacy Intervention (065)
Study Information
A major knowledge gap is that we do not understand whether incarcerated individuals understand the role of Behavioral Health Disorders (BHDs) in their lives, the symptoms professionals are attempting to treat, and how to access available resources (e.g., social support, services, treatment, or medications). There is a high prevalence of BHD symptoms among this population and carceral residents struggle to understand and manage their symptoms. Residents may not fully understand the language used by treatment providers or be fully aware of how symptoms impact their lives during/post-incarceration or how to manage them. This project extends the scientific knowledge base of behavioral health literacy (BHL) among carceral residents and staff to advance clinical practice by developing and pilot testing two behavioral health literacy interventions in prison settings, and assessing their feasibility and acceptability. BHL is defined as an individual’s capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic behavioral health information and to become aware of supports, symptom management, services, and treatment that are options for helping to redress potential negative impacts of BHDs.
Study Team
PI: Carrie Pettus, Ph.D.
Pilot Study