The Ties That Bind: The Association Between Social Network Ties, Integration, and Stress Among Incarcerated Women
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Social integration is theorized to enhance psychological well-being and reduce stress among incarcerated women. However, little empirical research has examined the association between prison social integration and women’s stress during incarceration. This study expands on previous research by (a) examining the relationship between different types of prison network ties among incarcerated women and self-reported stress and (b) exploring whether women’s perceptions of social integration mediate the association between prison network ties and stress. Using ordinal logistic models that incorporate social network and survey data from two women’s prisons in Pennsylvania ( N = 223) (WO-PINS), we find that pseudo-family–based, friendship-based, and trust-based network ties formed during incarceration are associated with reduced stress among incarcerated women. However, we find limited evidence that perceptions of social integration mediate the relationship between prison network ties and stress, suggesting that prison network ties are associated with stress reduction independent of an individual’s perception of integration.
Source: Criminal Justice and Behavior
Authors: Story Edison, Dana L. Haynie
Institution: The Ohio State University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4401890644