The Vicious Cycle: Interrelationship among trauma, substance misuse and offending from the perspective of Scottish incarcerated women – an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Sierka, Anna

Abstract

Background: Existing literature strongly supports the existence of significant relationships among trauma, substance misuse and offending in incarcerated women. However, these experiences are rarely explored simultaneously, the understanding of the nature of this interrelationship is limited, and this area of research is dominated by quantitative, non-UK studies.
Aims: This study explored the chronological order and the mechanisms underpinning the interrelationship among trauma, substance misuse and offending from the perspective of Scottish incarcerated women.
Method: An Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA) was adopted and semi-structured interviews supported by Life History Calendars (LHCs) were conducted with eight Scottish incarcerated women.
Results: The results from the LHCs revealed that trauma, substance misuse and offending can occur in any order and these experiences can continue following one another in all directions. Four main themes emerged as a result of the IPA analysis: “living in a hostile environment”, “making sense of self and the world”, “dysregulation of the emotion management system” and “ma life was spiralling out of control”. The mechanisms identified to underpin the interrelationship among trauma, substance misuse and offending included avoidant coping, losing control over behaviour, venting negative emotions, normalisation, financially supporting addiction and many others.
Conclusions: Findings revealed a cyclical, multidirectional and multifaceted interrelationship among trauma, substance misuse and offending, creating a vicious cycle underpinned by a number of mechanisms. The detailed insight into the nature of this interrelationship carries significant implications for education, policy and clinical practice.

Citation

Sierka, A. The Vicious Cycle: Interrelationship among trauma, substance misuse and offending from the perspective of Scottish incarcerated women – an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. (Thesis). Edinburgh Napier University. http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/9825

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Apr 11, 2016
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Trauma; substance misuse; female offenders; offending; Scottish incarcerated women
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/9825
• Contract Date: Apr 11, 2016
• Award Date: 2015-10