Royce Research Awardee: One Student’s Mission to Transform Mental Health Support Post-Incarceration

“I come from a family where both my parents and my uncle were incarcerated. My brother is currently incarcerated,” Michael said. “I’ve seen how my mother and grandmother struggled to get mental health services for my brother, which were denied. It’s generational and it’s tough to access resources once released. This led me to want to research and develop an app to support individuals reentering or already in society needing mental health support.”

Drawing insights from studies on mobile mental health applications for vulnerable populations, Michael is creating a targeted wellness app designed for formerly incarcerated people reentering society. The app’s development process includes collecting input from focus groups composed of individuals with firsthand experience of prison systems.

“We began with 300 participants in our focus groups, which were held primarily at Brown,” Michael said. “Age was a factor: older individuals were apprehensive about technology, while younger people were more receptive. But the general feedback was positive, acknowledging the need for a supportive community and access to mental health resources.” He adds: “I am grateful for the support of Angelo Giannopoulos, researcher at the Mindfulness Center at Brown, who played a significant role in helping me facilitate the focus groups, and my thesis advisor, Erica Walker, RGSS Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Brown.”

The app is being designed to include a mood tracker, mindfulness and meditation features, mental health education components, and a crisis support line. Instead of alerting police during a crisis, the app connects users to support services equipped to handle mental health emergencies. “The goal,” Michael said, “is to offer mental health support, create a sense of community, and help destigmatize mental health issues through this app, as I believe these are crucial for a successful life post-incarceration.”

Michael is also applying to study Norway’s prison system, which has a recidivism rate of 20%. This number stands in stark contrast to the recidivism rate in the U.S., which is roughly between 40% and 60%, depending on the state. “Norway’s model seems to prioritize building interpersonal skills and humanizing the individuals undergoing reform,” Michael said. “They tend to focus on rehabilitation, viewing former prisoners as future neighbors. To achieve effective rehabilitation, they emphasize humanizing the experience.”

In addition to his Royce-funded project, Michael is involved in a research assistantship at the Rhode Island Training School, a residential facility for court-adjudicated teens. There, he works with 18-year-olds who are reentering society, aiding in their rehabilitation and working to prevent recidivism.

“These projects are about improving health and equity, which is a priority for me,” Michael said. “It's not just about enhancing our mental resilience; it's also about ensuring the availability of necessary resources. This form of support is distinct from other types of mental health care and is crucial for improving the overall well-being of our community.” 

Michael is set to graduate with an MPH concentration in health services this coming May.