Mental health amongst incarcerated female offenders: Challenges and informal coping strategies
Zungu Sindisiwe & Khan Sultan
Abstract
Incarcerated female offenders often come from backgrounds marked by multiple layers of vulnerability and hardship, including poverty, gender-based violence, caregiving responsibilities, and marginalisation, which significantly impact their mental health outcomes. Although men make up most of the incarcerated population, women’s experiences in South African correctional facilities are largely understudied. This study presents a documentary analysis of existing literature drawing on peer-reviewed journal articles, policy documents, and institutional reports to examine how incarcerated women understand, experience, and manage mental health challenges. A narrative literature review approach is used to identify patterns and gaps in the literature. Many incarcerated women cope with mental health challenges through informal strategies like peer support networks, spiritual practices, inner resilience, and silence. These strategies often compensate for the lack of accessible, gender-sensitive, and trauma-informed mental health services in most correctional environments, as they help maintain a sense of self and dignity. By critically engaging with these patterns, the study aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of women’s psychological experiences in correctional facilities. In addition to supporting future research, policy reform, and activism within the penal system, the anticipated insights may inform the development of gender-responsive mental health interventions in South Africa. The study recommends trauma-informed services that address intersecting factors such as race and class, supported by improved mental health screening, increased access to professionals, and enhanced living conditions in correctional facilities. It further calls for community-based alternatives, integration of women’s coping strategies, and greater investment in mental health systems to address structural drivers of criminalisation and align practices with human rights standards.
Keywords
gender-responsive interventions, prison health services, behavioral adaptation, coping mechanisms in detention, penal institutions
Author information & Contribution
Zungu Sindisiwe. Corresponding author. Masters, University of KwaZulu-Natal. Email: sindi.zunguh@gmail.com
Khan Sultan. PhD. Professor, University of KwaZulu-Natal. Email: Khans@ukzn.ac.za
"All authors equally contributed to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering and analysis, and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not Applicable
Data and Materials Availability
The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
AI Declaration
AI tools were not used in writing this paper.
Notes
This paper has been presented in the International Conference on Innovation and Thechnopreneurship ICIT 2025
Acknowledgement
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Cite this article:
Sindisiwe, Z. & Sultan, K. (2026). Mental health amongst incarcerated female offenders: Challenges and informal coping strategies. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 6(2), 252-271. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353358
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