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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

People released from prison have more health care contacts for mental health and substance use. But not everyone released is the same. Variations in prison and release are associated with care pathways. Check out this brilliant summary by @kjellgren.bsky.social #justicehealth

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Off to #SSM2026 to present early analysis of post prison mortality, and which groups have +/- service contact for mental health & substance use -> results show meeting health needs after prison must be a public health priority Shout out to CoPIs @kjellgren.bsky.social & K Hunt. #JusticeHealth

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

That’s great, thanks Hannah. Let me know if you need more info

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

We made a comic with people who have experience of prison and mental health / substance use challenges - and illustrator Millie Strachan milliestrachan.wordpress.com osf.io/xe9vt

osf.io

OSF

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

How to best support people in contact with the criminal justice system to seek help for mental health and substance use problems -> Understanding the type and make up of someone’s social environment is crucial when trying to support change. 1/ #JusticeHealth

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Dr Louise Marryat @lmarryat.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

New paper out! 📢 Our systematic review examined school-age outcomes following prenatal opioid exposure, bringing together evidence from 27 studies involving more than 31,000 exposed children. [1/3] onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @uofgshw.bsky.social @dundee.ac.uk @morayhouse.bsky.social

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Say hi to RELEASE teams @jsavinc.bsky.social if in Rotterdam #IPDLN2026 Abstract -> ijpds.org/article/view... Post-imprisonment health service contact for mental health & substance use: variation by demographic, health & prison experience #JusticeHealth #IPDLN26 #IPDLN #IJPDS

ijpds.org

RELEASE: demographic and criminological differences in post-imprisonment mental health and substance use-related service use | International Journal of Population Data Science

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Our work on pathways of care for mental health and substance use on release from prison raises Qs for public health and health services delivery Made possible by a fab team & support from Stirling Uni & @sacasrstir.bsky.social Press release: www.stir.ac.uk/news/2026/fe... #JusticeHealth

stir.ac.uk

Prisoners in Scotland face mental health and substance use crisis after release, research reveals | About | University of Stirling

Prisoners in Scotland face mental health and substance use crisis after release, research reveals

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

RELEASE is part of our #JusticeHealth programme. More results soon Led by me at @sacasrstir.bsky.social and Prof Kate Hunt. @kjellgren.bsky.social is lead Research Fellow Funds: Chief Scientist Office Thx to a fab team inc @jimwatsonmba.bsky.social @jsavinc.bsky.social and others not on bSky 3/3

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Despite more contact with community services - people released need emergency care MUCH more than others for mental health and substance use Community services must be equipped to meet the needs of people released, to prevent harmful and costly emergencies arising 2/3

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

A good step as unmet health needs of ppl on probation are stark, esp mental health and substance use But... will referral into a creaking system be enough? Waiting lists ++ issue for all & this group face more barriers to seeking, accessing and sustaining care.... 2/2 #JusticeHealth

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Thats a wrap. last conference of season & a joy to be back in #Helsingfors #Suomi 4 European Public Health #EPH2025 sharing RELEASE and networks results 10yrs ago I visited here & ❤️ Vanha Vaasa as an occupational therapist on my journey to phd #JusticeHealth #Finland #Helsinki #OccupationalTherapy

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Joining the substance use research community at @addiction-ssa.org conference til tomorrow. Check out @kjellgren.bsky.social poster with early RELEASE results, examining substance use related health service contact on release from prison: prescription to A&E #JusticeHealth @sacasrstir.bsky.social

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Congrats to fabulous RELEASE colleague @jsavinc.bsky.social for being an outstanding collaborator - nominated for the Stirling Uni Research Culture Awards

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Led by me and Prof Kate Hunt at University of Stirling w/ @kjellgren.bsky.social leading on analysis and super colleagues: @jsavinc.bsky.social @jimwatsonmba.bsky.social and Nadine Dougall, Amanj Kurdi, Emily Tweed, Christine Haddow, Ashley Brown, Tessa Parkes and Alistair Leyland Funded by CSO 3/3

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

RELEASE: A population level retrospective cohort study - examines mental health and substance use related healthcare contacts among people released from prison - compares to similar people who haven't been in prison - examines groups w/different characteristics and release-type 2/3

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Shout out to the colleagues in these endeavours who are enjoying Praha in spirit only (sorry!) @jessicagreenhalgh.bsky.social Morgan T @drdavegriffiths.bsky.social Josh D @jimwatsonmba.bsky.social @kjellgren.bsky.social And many more involved in RELEASE, 3Ps and other projects

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Today I’m up twice at #WCP2025 First talking about the importance of relational contexts for mental health help-seeking among people in contact with the criminal justice system Then cross programme reflections on involving this population in research #JusticeHealth @sacasrstir.bsky.social

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

The world psychiatric association picks its spots - last event I was at nearly 10 years ago fresh into PhD life, and now beautiful Praha, Česko #WCP2025

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Conclusion: Lack of high-quality qualitative research exploring health impacts of mandatory SU treatment - esp for alcohol and outside USA If implementing programmes: - articulate your theory of change - consider adverse consequences - integrate harm reduction and wider health and social care 2/2

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Joining my first @adruk2025.bsky.social conference and looking forward to hearing so many linked data papers. @kjellgren.bsky.social and @jsavinc.bsky.social will share preliminary results from RELEASE- examining the healthcare contacts between different people released from prison. #JusticeHealth

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Great to be invited by the Criminal Justice Committee to share academic alongside frontline evidence. Excellent to hear the MSPs asking insightful questions to try and improve things for people in and leaving custody in Scotland #JusticeHealth @scotparl.bsky.social

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

2nd & 3rd yr SGSSS PhD students can come on academic placement with me & @kjellgren.bsky.social at @sacasrstir.bsky.social Work with the RELEASE dataset examining health service contacts on release from prison If eligible you'll have details in your inbox from @sgsss.bsky.social #JusticeHealth

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Stirling Criminology @stirunicriminology.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Dr Catriona Connell will be giving evidence to Scottish Parliament Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday. It's part of their Inquiry into harm caused by substance misuse in Scottish prisons. See 🔗 for details. @drcconnell.bsky.social @sacasrstir.bsky.social 🔗 www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-...

Photo of a Victorian-era prison with a barbed wire fence in the foreground

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

**important findings on universal mental well-being/health interventions in schools** V important to measure harms: we should challenge introducing this type of programme - esp if reducing provision of targeted evidence based provision for CYP in need www.nationalelfservice.net/populations-...

nationalelfservice.net

School mental health trials show mixed results and unexpected harms

The Education for Wellbeing programme, funded by the Department for Education, was one of England’s largest school-based mental health research initiatives.

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Great early morning panel talking about relational influences and the wider social context around people in contact with the justice system. I think I’m smiling to stop from melting in the Portsmouth heat

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Today I’m sharing more from our #justicehealth research at the British Soc Criminology Conference - me and @drdavegriffiths.bsky.social developed a typology of the social networks of people in contact with the justice system, and explore how it influences behaviour Come say hi - 830 LT3 #bsc2025

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

On behalf of a fab team - I’ll be talking about headline results from our justice health research programmes biggest study so far at #bsc2025 today Shout out to @kjellgren.bsky.social @jsavinc.bsky.social and all the colleagues from Scotland involved 🙌🏻

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Today I’m sharing results from RELEASE at the British Society of Criminology Conference - focusing on access to services for mental health and substance use & comparing people released from prison to similar people who hadn't been in prison Come say hi - 2.10pm Portland #bsc2025 #justicehealth

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

@drdavegriffiths.bsky.social @kjellgren.bsky.social @jessicagreenhalgh.bsky.social Mo Torrance and Josh Dumbrell @sacasrstir.bsky.social - and our amazing lived experience panel who advised throughout Come and chat to us

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Pleased our paper is out today: relational influences on help-seeking for mental health and substance use among marginalised people bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/6/e090349.full We present follow on research with justice-involved ppl @ DRNS conference later @drnscot.bsky.social Team ⬇️ #JusticeHealth

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Stirling Criminology @stirunicriminology.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

A team led by Dr Wendy Masterton are hosting an information sharing webinar on the findings of #research exploring nature-based programmes for people with poor mental health and experience of substance dependence. They'll present 3 new resources. 11am, 28 May. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nature-bas...

eventbrite.co.uk

Nature-based programmes for mental health and drug/alcohol problems

Eventbrite - Nature-based programmes for mental health and drug/alcohol problems - Wednesday, May 28, 2025 - Find event and ticket information.

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Sentencing Review (England & Wales) calls for increased use of mandatory substance use treatment Our research shows we need better data collection & quality research to understand effects of these sentences on health Results soon. Led by Prof France #justicehealth #substanceuse #sentencingreview

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Stirling Criminology @stirunicriminology.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Dr Richard Kjellgren @kjellgren.bsky.social speaking on the RELEASE research in Scotland which seeks to understand mental health and substance use-related services after release from prison. Really interesting and concerning data. @sacasrstir.bsky.social @drcconnell.bsky.social #Criminology [🧵/4]

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Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research @thesccjr.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

👋 Janine Aitken, University of Stirling, gives us an update on the RELEASE project in our latest SCCJR blog. The project focuses on understanding how individuals access health services for mental health and substance use following their release from prison. 👉 www.sccjr.ac.uk/news_item/re...

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Dr Catriona Connell @drcconnell.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Here I am on BlueSky - sort of. Alway late to the tech party. Follow me for mostly research content about #justicehealth #mentalhealth #substanceuse #socialoutcomes #justiceinvolvement #criminaljustice

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