Self-Reported Psychiatric Treatment Needs Among Felony Drug Offenders

• NCJ Number: 198953
• Journal: Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2003 Pages: 9-29
• Author(s): Steven Belenko; Michelle A. Lang; Lisa A. O'Connor
• Date Published: February 2003
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study estimated dual diagnosis in felony drug offenders with substance use disorders.

Abstract

The study was based on self-report of psychiatric treatment need and present symptomatology. It was hypothesized that a significant proportion of the sample would report conditions that indicated a need for psychiatric treatment. Participants were 280 felony offenders with drug abuse problems that were arrested during 1995 and 1996. The sample was primarily male, 33 years-old, and Hispanic. More than 700 variables were collected in a baseline interview, including data on past and recent alcohol and drug use, past and recent illegal activities, socioeconomic indicators, mental and physical health, family and social relationships, and HIV risk behaviors. The individuals were categorized into two groups: the first reported a history of receiving psychological treatment and the second had no such history. The findings suggest that depending on the criteria used between 40 and 60 percent of the sample of felony drug sale offenders with substance use or abuse disorders may be dually diagnosed. Forty-three percent of the sample may have a co-existing mental health disorder. A history of inpatient psychiatric treatment was not significantly associated with self-report of current psychiatric treatment need. A history of outpatient rather than inpatient psychiatric treatment was significantly associated with self-report of treatment need. There were four significant predictors associated with reporting a need for psychiatric treatment. The need treatment respondents were more likely than the no need group to experience recent cognitive difficulties, more likely to experience any recent mental or emotional problems, and more likely to have a history of psychiatric outpatient treatment. The strongest predictor found the need treatment group 35 times more likely to report being distressed over psychiatric symptoms within the past 30 days. These results have important implications for designing and implementing drug treatment interventions in prisons. 3 tables, 1 note, 55 references