A scoping review of the stressors experienced by remand prisoners

People on remand experience a custodial context distinct from those sentenced to imprisonment. This is often marked by legal uncertainty, restricted autonomy, and limited access to activity and support. The specific stressors experienced during remand have been identified in individual studies but have not yet been mapped across the literature. This scoping review seeks to map the stressors identified across the current remand literature, and extract any patterns, practice implications or priority areas for future research. This review followed PRISMA-ScR guidance and used the PCC framework. Scopus, MEDLINE, and APA PsycInfo were searched from inception to February 2026, with additional studies identified through reference list screening. Eligible studies were English-language, peer-reviewed primary research reporting stressors directly experienced during remand custody. The search identified 1,064 database records and eight additional sources. After screening, 53 studies were included. The evidence base was geographically and methodologically diverse, spanning 24 countries and comprising quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies. Fourteen recurrent stressor domains were identified: legal uncertainty, court attendance, confinement, inactivity, isolation, family separation, victimisation, procedural injustice, living conditions, unmet healthcare needs, substance withdrawal, socioeconomic strain, identity harm, and instability. Stressors commonly clustered rather than occurring in isolation, and their salience and consequences varied according to institutional conditions, socio-cultural context, and time in custody. The included longitudinal evidence identified a temporal pattern: distress was often most acute around admission and later stabilised or improved, whereas family separation and isolation could remain chronic or become increasingly harmful as remand continued. Remand is associated with a broad and recurring profile of stressors relevant to wellbeing and adjustment in custody. The findings support attention to early support during remand, the institutional conditions that may intensify stress, and more context-specific research. Future work should clarify the relative impact of different stressors, their temporal course, and their relevance across different remand populations and settings. The search strategy and eligibility criteria were registered with Open Science Framework.