Miss Caitlyn Jowett1, Professor Richard Kemp1, Professor Phillipa Hay2, Associate Professor Adrienne Withall1, Laurie Hopkins3
1University Of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia, 3Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network NSW, Sydney, Australia
Biography:
Caitlyn Jowett is a combined PhD/Master of Psychology (Clinical) Candidate at the University of New South Wales. Her research investigates disordered eating in correctional settings, with the aims of estimating the prevalence of eating disorders in adult NSW correctional centres and developing an assessment framework tailored to this context. She also has clinical experience as a provisional psychologist and has previously contributed to research on reducing recidivism in Australia through her work as an intern with the Community Justice Coalition.
Abstract:
Eating disorders are significant psychiatric conditions with among the highest mortality rates in mental health. They involve distorted cognitions and behaviours related to eating and body image, and are correlated with trauma, impulsivity, substance use, and emotional dysregulation – a combination of traits also associated with offending behaviour. Correctional settings exacerbate these risks through trauma exposure, loss of autonomy, social isolation, and restrictive routines. Despite this, little is known about the prevalence and nature of eating disorders in custody.
This presentation shares findings from a scoping review mapping literature on disordered eating in custodial settings internationally (OSF Preregistration DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/DG2QA). The review explores population characteristics (e.g., gender, age, offence type), types of settings and disorders studied, assessment methods, and interventions. In line with PRISMA-ScR guidelines, citations were sourced from seven relevant databases, and were double-screened by two independent reviewers.
Initial findings point to a paucity of research: only 45 of the 1170 screened studies met inclusion criteria, and many of these have small, non-representative samples. Literature disproportionately focuses on females, despite men comprising over 90% of incarcerated populations. Moreover, most of the included studies merely mention eating disorders in custody without focusing on them or distinguishing an eating disorder group, limiting our ability to draw specific conclusions. No studies on disordered eating in Australian custodial settings were identified.
This presentation will discuss how institutional responses to this issue reflect broader societal attitudes toward custodial mental health, and how these attitudes shape the recognition and treatment of disordered eating in custody.