Examining the protective role of social support in forensic mental health

Section A
A literature review exploring the protective effects of social support in recidivism of criminal offending. A systematic literature search identified twelve studies which looked at the impact of the quality of social support, as well as different mechanisms of social support on recidivism. These are critiqued and synthesised using a review process focusing on quantitative methodology. Results are presented by looking at the different mechanisms of socially supportive relationships with family and peers, as well as other forms of support. Findings demonstrate the protective effects of family and peers in particular, however it remains unclear as to the most effective mechanisms of support. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Section B
A quantitative study comprising of a secondary data analysis. Generalised linear models and proportional hazards modelling were used to examine the protective effects of social support received by service users during admission to forensic mental health secure services. A number of variables for the presence of different types of personal support were coded from clinician-ratings of personal support taken from structured risk assessments. Results demonstrated that both the presence of positive family and intimate partner support were associated with more desirable objective measures of recovery. How findings relate to current theory and research are discussed, and clinical and research implications are suggested.