Examining Co-Occurring Disorders and the Likelihood of Receiving Substance Use Treatment in a Carceral Facility

• In Event: Poster Session 1

Abstract

There is a significant body of work that looks at criminal legal system (CLS) exposed persons with co-occurring disorders (COD) and treatment opportunities available to this population within various correctional settings. However, there is a lack of research examining the likelihood that CLS exposed persons with COD who received past-year substance use treatment will have done so in a jail or prison. The current study utilizes the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2015-2019) to understand whether CLS exposed adults with COD are more likely to have received substance use treatment in a carceral facility as compared to individuals with only one diagnosis. A bivariate analysis was used to identify receipt of past-year substance use treatment in a carceral facility across COD status (co-occurring disorders, substance use disorder only, mental illness only, and neither condition). Findings revealed that individuals with COD are more likely to report past-year substance use treatment in a carceral facility (8.2%) as compared to those with a substance use disorder (5.1%) or mental illness (2.3%) alone. However, once sociodemographic variables were added to the model, having a substance use disorder alone was no longer a significant predictor of past-year treatment in a carceral facility.

Authors

• Lauren Nicole Labuhn, University of Central Florida

• Jason Ford, University of Central Florida