ORCID
- Nikki Morfey: 0009-0004-8853-4695
Abstract
Utilizing a Community-Based Participatory Action Research approach, semi-structured interviews were used to explore seven individuals’ experiences of working with Probation who self-identified as screening into the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of the data resulted in the construction of six Group Experiential Themes. Findings reflect participant confusion with the Personality Disorder label in light of feeling it was imposed without discussion, speaking to their experiences of the power dynamic in the probation relationship. Participants described being reduced to a case to be managed, with no space to be seen as a person, and a gap between their expectations and the reality of support. They highlighted hopes for improvements, including Probation access to specialist psychological knowledge regarding PD, as well as a desire to work collaboratively. Considerations for how Probation and psychology could improve person-centered service delivery, and suggestions for further research into individuals’ experiences are discussed.
Awarding Institution(s)
University of Plymouth
Supervisor
Alyson Norman, Claire Rycroft
Keywords
Personality Disorder, Probation, Participatory Action Research, Offender Personality Disorder
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Date
2025
Embargo Period
2026-10-08
Deposit Date
October 2025
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Morfey, N. (2025) Exploring Individuals’ Experiences of Working with Probation who have Personality Disorder: A Community-Based Participatory Action Research approach.. Thesis. University of Plymouth. Retrieved from https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/psy-theses/172
This item is under embargo until 08 October 2026
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