Perceptions of the environment, suicidal ideation and problem-solving deficits in an offender population

Purpose. This study was designed to explore relationships that exist among suicidal ideation, perceptions of the prison environment and problem‐solving deficits in an offender population. Method. Participants were 46 male offenders in two separate prisons in the Republic of Ireland. A semistructured interview ascertained demographic and personal history details. Participants were (i) non‐ideators with no previous parasuicide history (control group), (ii) non‐ideators with a past parasuicide history (past parasuicide group), and (iii) current ideators. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory II, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale, Means‐Ends Problem‐Solving Scale and Prison Preference Inventory. Results. Participants in the current ideator and past parasuicide groups had significantly higher preferences for privacy and significantly lower preferences for social stimulation within the prison environment than did the control group. There were no significant differences in the number of problem‐solving means produced among the three groups. Participants in the control group offered significantly more active relevant problem‐solving means than did participants in the other two groups. The current ideator group produced significantly more passive relevant problem‐solving means than did the past parasuicide and control groups. Conclusions. The significant differences in perceptions of the prison environment may be indicative of different coping mechanisms used to adapt to time in prison. It is concluded that the lack of significant differences in the generation of passive relevant problem‐solving means are related to parasuicide history. The lack of significant differences in the number of problem‐solving means produced is accounted for by the prevalence of problem‐solving deficits among an offender population.