Leif Waage

BRIEF COMMUNICATION: PSYCHOPATHY AND RECOGNITION OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS OF EMOTION

This study investigated the relationship between symptom clusters of psychopathy, as measured by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; Hare 1991), and ability to recognize facial expressions of emotion. Participants were 43 adult male inmates. Facial expressions of emotion were taken from Ekman and Frisen (1976). The present results indicated that there were some significant relationships between facets of psychopathy and processing of disgust facial expressions. The experiment highlighted the importance of studying specific clusters of psychopathic symptoms, as opposed to measures of global symptomatology.

Music Therapy for Prisoners: Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial and Implications for Evaluating Psychosocial Interventions

Mental health problems are common among prison inmates. Music therapy has been shown to reduce mental health problems. It may also be beneficial in the rehabilitation of prisoners, but rigorous outcome research is lacking. We compared group music therapy with standard care for prisoners in a pilot randomised controlled trial that started with the establishment of music therapy services in a prison near Bergen in 2008. In all, 113 prisoners agreed to participate. Anxiety (STAI-State [State–Trait Anxiety Inventory], STAI-Trait), depression (HADS-D [Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale]), and social relationships (Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire [Q-LES-Q]) were assessed at baseline; every 2 weeks in the experimental group; after 1, 3, and 6 months in the control group; and at release. No restrictions were placed on the frequency, duration, or contents of music therapy. Duration of stay in the institution was short (62% stayed less than 1 month). Only a minority reached clinical cutoffs for anxiety and depression at baseline. Between-group analyses of effects were not possible. Music therapy was well accepted and attractive among the prisoners. Post hoc analysis of within-group changes suggested a reduction of state anxiety after 2 weeks of music therapy (d = 0.33, p = .025). Short sentences and low baseline levels of psychological disturbance impeded the examination of effects in this study. Recommendations for planning future studies are given, concerning the careful choice of participants, interventions and settings, comparison condition and design aspects, choice of outcomes, and integration of research approaches. Thus, the present study has important implications for future studies evaluating interventions for improving prisoners’ mental health. Trial registration: ISRCTN22518605

The relationship between attachment, personality and antisocial tendencies in a prison sample: A pilot study

This study examined the role of adult attachment and personality in relation to antisocial tendencies (i.e. convictions for violence and interpersonal problems in romantic relationships) in Norwegian prison inmates (N=92). Attachment styles and personality were measured using self-report questionnaires (RSQ; Griffin & Bartholomew, 1994; and NEO-FFI, Costa & McCrae, 1992a). The prison inmates scored higher on avoidant than on anxious attachment style. While age and agreeableness (negatively associated) emerged as significant predictors of violence, anxious attachment explained most of the variances in aggression in intimate relationships. The study suggests that different types of antisocial tendencies could have different attachment and general personality correlates.

Psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire in high-risk groups

The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire--Short Form (CTQ-SF) is widely used to measure childhood abuse of all types. In the present study, we examined the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the instrument. The participants constituted four subsamples (n = 517): substance abusers (n = 126), psychiatric patients (n = 210), prisoners (n = 109) and adolescents in out-of-home placements (n = 72). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a reasonable fit of the data to the original five-factor structure of the CTQ-SF. Measurement invariance was found across gender and the four subsamples. It was concluded that the Norwegian version of the CTQ-SF has acceptable psychometric properties, with good reliability and satisfactory accuracy, to assess different dimensions of childhood trauma.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among inmates in Bergen Prison.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether clinical findings are consistent with research indicating a high prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among prison inmates. Forty-three male inmates who were referred for ADHD assessment at the health service in Bergen prison participated. Although most of them reported symptoms in accordance with ADHD both in childhood and adulthood, only 35% of the referred inmates fulfilled the criteria for ADHD when a comprehensive assessment was conducted. The results emphasize the importance of a comprehensive assessment when diagnosing ADHD among prison inmates.

Childhood maltreatment and adult mental health

Background: The relationship between reported childhood maltreatment and general psychological and post-traumatic distress was examined in a sample of 551 adults from different risk samples. Aims: Exposure to childhood maltreatment was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short Form, which detects physical, emotional and sexual abuse and past physical and emotional neglect. Methods: The participants’ current levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms and general psychological stress symptoms were measured with the Impact of Event Scale – Revised and the Symptom Checklist 90 – Revised, respectively. Results: The results reveal a high prevalence of reported childhood maltreatment in both men and women, and the severity levels of the five types of childhood maltreatment showed significant associations with the extent of current post-traumatic and general psychological distress. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the need for appropriate procedures for identifying childhood maltreatment.

The Relationship between the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised and the MMPI–2: A Pilot Study

The goal of the study was to investigate the relationship between Hares four-facet model of psychopathy and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI–2) in a forensic, culturally homogenous sample. 22 male prisoners from Bergen Prison participated. There was only a statistically significant negative zero-order correlation between the total PCL–R score and the score on the Depression scale of the MMPI–2. However, the results revealed that the four facets had different underlying correlates with negative affectivity. Overall, Facets 1 and 2 showed a tendency toward a negative relationship with the clinical scales on the MMPI–2, while Facets 3 and 4 had a positive relationship. Interestingly, partial correlations showed that Facet 4 of PCL–R was the only facet that correlated statistically significantly with the scores on the Psychopathic Deviate scale of the MMPI–2.

The prison as a therapeutic music scene: Exploring musical identities in music therapy and everyday life in a prison setting:

Whilst most research into music therapy with offenders focuses on music interventions in forensic mental health settings, less research exists into affordances of supporting musicking as an everyday practice in prisons. This article explores the prison as a music scene supported by a music therapist, showing how musicking forms an important part of the prison’s emotional geography. Through the presentation of findings from an ethnographic study of musical life in a low secure prison in Norway, the article shows how prisoners engage in music as a technology of self, affording the performance of caring and autonomous identities. We argue that supporting everyday musicking in the prison through music therapy fosters a therapeutic music scene, and that drawing on music as data in criminological research can contribute to more nuanced understandings of prisons.