Therapeutic community residency and emotional management of female drug users

Purpose
– The current study focused on five female offenders who completed the only female‐specific therapeutic community (TC) for drug addiction in the UK prison system. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect that such residency had on individuals' emotional management skills compared to when they were active drug users.

Design/methodology/approach
– The study was based on a qualitative design, and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to produce idiographic results.

Findings
– Results suggested that before TC residency all participants displayed problematic emotional management skills. However, during TC residency individuals witnessed elements of emotional healing and increased emotion connection. Additionally improvements were noted in emotional consideration, emotional communication, outward emotional displays and self‐worth.