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Substance abuse is related to re-offending, and treatment of substance abuse may reduce criminal recidivism. Offender characteristics including problem severity, violence risk and psychopathic personality traits may be positively or negatively associated with participation in substance abuse treatment. We explored the relationships between such characteristics and participation in substance abuse interventions among Swedish offenders with mental health problems and problematic substance use. Our analyses revealed that problem severity regarding drugs, employment, and family/social situations predicted intervention participation, and that affective psychopathic personality traits were negatively associated with such participation. Thus, affective psychopathic personality traits could be considered as potential barriers to participation in substance abuse interventions. Among offenders with mental health problems and problematic substance use, such personality traits should be taken into account in order to optimize treatment participation and treatment outcome. Approaches used in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) could be applicable for these patients., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Substance abuse is common among offenders. One method widely used for the detection of substance abuse is screening. This study explored the concurrent validity of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) screening tools in relation to (a) substance abuse and dependency diagnoses and (b) three problem severity domains of the sixth version of the Addiction Severity Index in a sample of 181 suspected offenders with signs of mental health problems. The screening tools showed moderate to high accuracy for identification of dependency diagnoses. The AUDIT was associated with alcohol problem severity, whereas the DUDIT was associated with drug and legal problem severity. Administering the screening tools in the current population yields valid results. However, the suggested cutoff scores should be applied with caution due to the discrepancy between present and previous findings., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Among clients who have been screened already for drug-related problems, the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test--Extended (DUDIT-E) maps the frequency of illicit drug use (D), the positive (P) and negative (N) aspects of drug use, and treatment readiness (T). D scores correlated with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition diagnoses among 154 heavy drug users from criminal justice and drug detoxification settings, as well as with urine test results in drug detoxification units. One-week test/retest intraclass correlation coefficients among 92 male prison inmates were .90, .78, .75, and .84 for D, P, N, and T scores, respectively. Cronbach's alpha were .88-.95 for P score, .88-.93 for N score, and .72-.81 for T score. Principal components analysis supported construct validity for P, N, and T scores. T scores were higher in prison treatment units than in motivational and regular units without treatment emphasis. Motivational index scores differentiated between three categories of heavy drug users; they did not differentiate between prisons and unit types, but this corresponded to unclear structural differentiation between units.

This study tested the viability of auricular acupuncture in prisons for alleviating inmates' symptoms of psychological and physical discomfort and reducing their drug use. The experimental NADA-Acudetox protocol was compared with a non-specific helix control protocol in a randomized trial. Over a period of 18 months, a 4-week, 14-session auricular acupuncture treatment program was offered in two prisons to 163 men and women with self-reported drug use. Among treatment completers, no differences by method were found in self-reported symptoms of discomfort. Drug use occurred in the NADA group but not in the helix group. In contrast, confidence in the NADA treatment increased over time while it decreased for the helix treatment. No significant negative side effects were observed for either method. Participants in both groups reported reduced symptoms of discomfort and improved nighttime sleep. Future research should compare auricular acupuncture to a non-invasive control in order to attempt to disentangle active effects from placebo.