Personality change associated with confinement: A systematic review of observational and treatment-related evidence from prisons and forensic settings

Confinement is a major life event with far-reaching consequences for an individual, which may also influence personality change, but data on this topic are fragmented across disciplines. Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the evidence on personality change in confined individuals. A systematic literature search covering publications up to March 2024 was conducted using EBSCOhost, PubMed, and Web of Science. Peer-reviewed original articles examining personality changes associated with any form of confinement were included. They examined a wide range of personality traits, which we categorized within the Big Five. Thirteen observational studies focused on personality change during confinement irrespective of specific interventions. They most consistently reported increases in emotional stability and conscientiousness, while findings for agreeableness, extraversion, and openness were mixed or limited. Twenty-seven intervention studies examined change in the context of interventions in confinement. They mostly found increases in emotional stability and agreeableness, whereas openness, extraversion, and conscientiousness yielded mixed results or were rarely targeted, especially in forensic settings. Our findings suggest that confinement, especially when combined with targeted interventions, may potentially promote personality changes. However, highly heterogeneous designs, methods, and trait definitions, together with other limitations, reduced the interpretability and generalizability of the findings.