A research of mental health and recidivism prevention in offenders

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25590016
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Criminal law
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: TOMOTO Aika 千葉大学, 社会精神保健教育研究センター, 特任助教 (00595366)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): IGARASHI Yoshito 千葉大学, 社会精神保健教育研究センター, 教授 (40332374)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): IYO Masaomi 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 教授 (50191903)
• Research Collaborator: OMIYA Souichiro 千葉大学, 社会精神保健教育研究センター, 特任研究員 (50729283) ; SHINKAI Hiroyuki 法務総合研究所 ; NISINAKA Hirofumi 千葉大学, 社会精神保健教育研究センター, 日本学術振興会特別研究員(D2)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 法と心理学 / こころの健康 / 犯罪 / 予防 / 介入

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We aimed to show effective recidivism prevention. In addition to measuring the mental health of Prisoners, we clarified the associations between the advent of problem behavior. Prisoners seem to have low subjective well-being. And we observed a correlation between mental health and frequency of problem behavior, suggesting that the ability to control problem behavior is dependent on the subjective feeling of the health. Therefore we have conducted a CBT that focuses on mental health. We considered the significant improvements to correspond to the objective of our program.
This study have shown a promise of enabling convicts to start attaining a "feel safe " with the increase of one's own sense of mental control in the social life after being released from prison, rather than only dealing with anxiety. This study has clarified anew the low state of mental health of prisoners and the importance of interventions targeting subjective feelings of health for the prevention of recidivism.

Free Research Field

司法精神医学