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- Durbeej, N., et al.
(author)
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P02-54 - Is outpatient-based substance abuse treatment a predictor of re-offending and other outcomes among Swedish offenders subjected to psychiatric assessment?
- 2010
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In: European psychiatry. - : Elsevier. - 0924-9338 .- 1778-3585. ; 25:Supplement 1, s. 674-674
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Substance abuse is associated with criminal recidivism. Substance abuse treatment has been found to correlate negatively with re-offending among treatment utilizers. However, for offenders with mental health problems and substance abuse, research on how substance abuse treatment affects re-offending is sparse. Objectives: The study aimed to examine the relationship between self-reported outpatient-based substance abuse treatment and self-reported a) re-offending, b) substance use and c) psychiatric problems among offenders with mental health and substance use problems. Methods: Data were gathered from a naturalistic follow-up study with 208 participants, subjected to a court-ordered psychiatric assessment. This analysis covers 91 individuals who were followed-up after an average study period of 17 months. Among these, 68% had been sentenced to institutional imprisonment or forensic psychiatric care. Results: Offences, substance use and psychiatric problems declined between baseline and follow-up. However, the reduction was not associated with self-reported treatment utilization. Among participants who were sentenced to non-institutional corrections, more individuals had utilized outpatient-based treatment compared to individuals who were sentenced to imprisonment or forensic psychiatric care. Conclusions: A definitive conclusion about the effect of treatment is difficult to draw. For instance, self-reported data may not reflect actual treatment consumption. However, one interpretation is that participants naturally recovered over time. Institutional correction might also have resulted in positive outcomes equivalent to outpatient-based treatment.
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