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Police officers face a unique and challenging occupational experience and report elevated mental disorder symptoms relative to the general population. While gender differences appear to be present in police mental health, this study aims to find which factors foster and promote resilience in these workers and how gender may relate to police resilience.

The present study was designed to explore how protective factors, sexual harassment and personality dysfunction impacted resilience among police officers (n = 380; 44% women). Furthermore, gender differences were also examined on these factors as well as on resilience rate.

Men and women police officers did not differ significantly in terms of resilience, protective factors and overall experiences of sexual harassment behaviors; yet, policewomen subjectively reported having experienced more sexual harassment in the past 12 months than policemen. Men reported greater personality difficulties than women, according to the alternative Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) model for personality disorders. Personality dysfunction was the most robust predictor of poor resilience (ß = −0.465; p < 0.001).

Personality fragilities appear to have an important negative impact on the resilience of police officers, over and above protective factors and gendered experiences. Interventions targeting emotion regulation, self-appraisal and self-reflection could help promote resilience and foster well-being in this population.

The label “Personality Disorder” continues to divide opinion. Challenges to the terminology of personality disorder led by people with lived experience and supported by critical practitioners and academics are tempered by acknowledgement of certain positive social consequences of obtaining a diagnosis. This study aims to engage service users and staff in a process of inquiry to better understand the complexities of views on the terminology of Personality Disorder.

This study set out to qualitatively explore the views of a range of people with lived, occupational and dual lived experience/occupational expertise, relating to the diagnostic label of Personality Disorder, via participatory and critical group debate. The World Café approach is an innovative methodology for participatory inquiry into subjective views suited to exploring the contested subject matter.

This study identified contrasting opinions towards the label of Personality Disorder and provides insight into the concerns described for both keeping and losing the label. Although many felt the words “personality” and “disorder” are not in themselves helpful, certain positive views were also revealed. Perspectives towards the label were influenced by the way in which diagnosis was explained and understood by patients and practitioners, alongside the extent to which service provision and evidence-based interventions were offered.

The findings have the potential to contribute to the ongoing critical debate regarding the value of the Personality Disorder construct in the provision of care and support. Specific emphasis upon the relational framing of care provision offers a means to ameliorate some of the negative impacts of terminology. Perspectives are influenced in the way the label is understood, hence, attention is required to enhance these processes in clinical practice. There is much more study required to overcome stigmatisation, prejudice, and lack of knowledge and understanding. Further research identifying means for challenging stigma and the factors contributing to positive clinical interactions are required.

This study brings together a wide range of views and experiences of mental health professionals, individuals lived experiences and those who align to both lived and occupational expertise. A safe space was provided via the uniquely co-produced World Café research event to bring together discussion and debates from mixed perspectives makes this a novel study. The focus being on perspectives towards contested language, labelling and social impact adds to scholarship in this field.

Major developments in the management of and intervention for people with significant personality difficulties who have offended are continuing, most recently with the implementation of the Offender Personality Disorder (Department of Health/National Offender Management Service (DoH/NOMS), 2011) Pathway. Included in this, is the Psychologically Informed Planned Environment model, currently being implemented in Prisons and Probation Approved Premises. This model includes the provision of “socially creative activities” (Benefield et al., 2018), opportunities for social learning and relationship building. The purpose of this paper is to explore the rationale for and examples of the implementation of these.

The paper offers a narrative review of research around child development, personality, social learning and the policy context around the OPD Pathway. An overview of the socially creative sessions and a rationale for them is provided.

A conceptual understanding of the rationale for socially creative sessions is provided with a description of the sessions that focussed upon development of imagination, narrative/story making, social expression and relational experiences, i.e. singing, drama and reading with others. It is argued that the activities offered opportunities to engage in a different medium for expression, learning and relating, that may provide a catalyst for change in individuals with entrenched motivational and interpersonal difficulties.

This is a conceptual paper that provides a rationale for socially creative sessions and describes the sessions. This paper does not feature outcome data which are outside the remit of this paper; however, future research into the impact of this approach to aid relational development and assist in emotional and behavioural stability is essential.

The complex needs of this client group emphasise the need for services to offer holistic ways to engage people who can have a positive impact upon relationships.

The work presented in this paper is valuable for professionals working within the personality disorder and criminal justice field, also for policy makers and commissioners.

The current review sought to bring light to the issue of an underexplored career phenomenon – career indecision. Career indecision is a significant developmental stage in one’s career life and has been a prominent topic in vocational psychology research in the past decades. However, it has received scant scholarly attention in the human resource development (HRD) field. Besides, the career indecision literature, in general, is lacking theoretical refinement and analytical review. The present study aims to stimulate HRD scholars’ interests by providing an introductory context for understanding the richness and potentialities of researching career indecision in the HRD area.

To address the gap, the author conducted an integrative review (Torraco, 2005, 2016) of 60 peer-reviewed articles and synthesized the existing knowledge of career indecision. More importantly, antecedent and outcome factors associated with career indecision were identified and analyzed.

A nomological network about career indecision was provided. Besides, the results of the integrative review revealed several omissions in the career indecision literature. Building upon that, implications for HRD research and practice are presented and discussed.

As an initial attempt to synthesize career indecision literature, this study sought to stimulate HRD professionals’ interest in examining this underexplored career phenomenon.

The purpose of this paper is to present outcomes of mixed practices including use of ideas from narrative therapy (NT) in a case of mild intellectual disability (ID) and personality disorder. The formulation, therapy adaptation and outcomes are presented.

The study is a single case report describing patient presentation, assessments, psychological formulation and the mixed interventions approaches used, including ideas from NT. Adaptations to meet the needs of patients with ID were described, and therapy outcome measured using Health of the Nation Outcome scale and Psychiatric Assessment Schedule for Adults with Developmental Disorders was presented.

The ideas used from NT suggest this is potentially a useful approach in practice for people with intellectual disabilities and personality disorder. However, adaptation is needed for it to be used successfully in practice as a therapeutic intervention.

A single case study has its limitations, and further work on using ideas from NT, its adaptation and use in this population will be needed.

There is no previous case of use of NT among patients with ID and personality disorder.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the pattern of self-harm (SH) and proven prison rule-breaking (PRB) behaviour in prisoners receiving treatment for personality disorders (PDs) within a high security prison.

A comparative quantitative case study design supported the understanding of the frequency and pattern of SH and PRB behaviour across two stages of a PD treatment programme for 74 male prisoners. Data obtained from the prison’s records were analysed using dependent t-tests, χ² test of independence and time-frequency analyses.

Inferential statistics showed that the frequency of SH and PRB behaviour statistically increased across two phases of the PD treatment programme; however, the method of SH or type of PRB behaviour engaged in did not change. Mapping the frequencies of incidents using a time-frequency analysis shows the patterns of both behaviours to be erratic, peaking in the latter phase of treatment, yet the frequency of incidents tended to decline over time.

This is the first study to explore SH and PRB behaviours in men across two phases of a PD treatment programme. This study highlights the need for continued psychological support alongside the PD treatment programme with a focus on supporting men in treatment to effectively manage their SH and PRB behaviour.

The purpose of this paper is to gain an in-depth view into how participants perceived their experience of engaging in an enhanced Intensive Intervention and Risk Management Service (IIRMS), which is a part of the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway based within the community.

Five participants were interviewed. They were at different points of engagement with the service. Interviews were taped, transcribed and analysed using the grounded theory methodology.

Participants were able to provide in-depth reflections about their experiences at the service. The main issues centred upon “managing fragile relationships” and “an emerging self”. Subcategories linked to managing fragile relationships were: “letting people in and keeping them away”; “surviving the ruptures”; and “treating me like a person”. Subcategories linked to an emerging self were: “readiness to change” and “making new connections”.

This study focused upon one enhanced IIRMS and findings are not necessarily generalisable to other services within the OPD pathway, although themes are likely to resonate for those leaving custody with complex interpersonal difficulties.

This study has provided access to participants’ perspectives on engaging with an IIRMS. Many factors impact upon the individual’s journey, which is central to the relational approach underpinning the pathway.

The findings have important messages for service providers and commissioners and crucially service user perspectives have been obtained that are integral to future development of the OPD pathway. The findings are also relevant for released prisoners attempting to reintegrate within the community.

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the experiences of nursing staff providing a residential treatment programme for high risk offenders with an intellectual disability and personality disorder.

The paper's approach is thematic analysis of focus groups, repeated measures EssenCES.

Nursing staff report increased insight into patients' risk factors, improved relationships with patients and enhanced team working.

This descriptive paper will be of interest to clinicians working with offenders with intellectual disability and personality disorder. Improvements in team functioning may be of interest to managers.

There are few published papers concerning treatment approaches with offenders with intellectual disability and personality disorder. This paper fills some of the gaps.

In this short chapter, we seek to begin to understand what it might mean to ‘interrupt the legal person’. We do this in two parts. In the first part, we begin with the phrase itself and interrogate its components. Interrogating these components leads us to think of the legal person as a technical and grammatical question that varies across different legal traditions and jurisdictions, i.e., across different ways of living and speaking law (recall that juris-diction says to speak the law). In the second part, we briefly explore four versions or declinations of interruptions, each corresponding to a different kind of juris-diction or legal tradition. We see this chapter as itself a friendly interruption in (or of) a broad and rich conversation so as to encourage ourselves to be struck again by some things we may take for granted.