Abstract
Having a mental health (MH) or substance use (SU) issue can make the transition from prison to the community a challenging process. Despite this, few studies have quantified how justice-involved individuals with mental health issues only, substance use only, those with both struggles, and those with neither are uniquely affected. Using a sample of re-entering men who were released from twelve state prisons in the United States, we assessed the effects of having MH and SU issues on their drug use during re-entry. Furthermore, we examined their differing coping reactions to housing insecurity, joblessness, and family tension after release. The results demonstrated that respondents’ risk of SU during re-entry was associated with MH and SU issues measured at release. Those with co-occurring MH and SU challenges were at the highest risk of SU during re-entry. Furthermore, challenging life situations during re-entry exerted an amplified effect on SU for respondents with both anxiety and SU issues. The findings suggest that post-incarcerated individuals with co-occurring MH and SU issues have the highest risk of SU, and their reaction to re-entry barriers is distinct from their peers. Quality services to address co-occurring MH and SU may be needed to facilitate a smooth transition from prison to the community.
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Notes
The Other category included Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, and Multi-racial, which were not isolated due to the small numbers of respondents in the sample.
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Liu, L., Zgoba, K.M. Examining a Triple Threat: The Intersection of Mental Health, Substance Use, and Re-entry of a Sample of Justice-Involved Persons. Adm Policy Ment Health (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-024-01347-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-024-01347-5