Health Sciences
AMICABLE
The National Institute of Health Care Research (NIHR) project referred to as: AMICABLE (Addressing Mental health In Custody A Brief Learning Environment) will evaluate a Peer-led Problem Support Mentoring Scheme.
The project expands on pilot work conducted in two prisons. It will identify whether it can demonstrate a scalable and sustainable intervention to support the mental health of people in custody across the wider prison estate using a six-step problem solving model.
The study design includes an interrupted time series design (comparing intervention prisons using routinely collected data on self-harm and violence to a several control prison sites). A longitudinal process evaluation of the scheme with prisoners and prison staff, whole prison surveys to assess mental health, wellbeing, prison culture and NHS resource use. A matched cohort study will follow people upon release into the community.
Researchers will conduct the study in collaboration with an ex-service user co-applicant, a prison service lead, the prison radio association, third sector organisations, one NHS trust, four intervention prisons and a community ex-service user group.
Prior publications about the scheme
- Problem-solving training: assessing the feasibility and acceptability of delivering and evaluating a problem-solving training model for front-line prison staff and prisoners who self-harm
- The effect of a peer-led problem-support mentor intervention on self-harm and violence in prison: An interrupted time series analysis using routinely collected prison data
- Implementation of a problem-solving training initiative to reduce self-harm in prisons: a qualitative perspective of prison staff, field researchers and prisoners at risk of self-harm
For more information please contact the CI Professor Amanda Perry email: AMICABLE-project@york.ac.uk
Follow us on Twitter @AMICABLEProject
A launch event (PDF 
, 4,813kb) was held on 8 November 2023 to showcase the work of the project including speakers from the University of York, University of Leeds, Prison Radio Association, Voluntary Action Leeds and including the voice of the service user.
AMICABLE project references (PDF , 744kb)
This study/project is funded by the NIHR: Programme Grant: AMICABLE; NIHR 203681. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.