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Violent and disruptive behavior among drug‐involved prisoners: Relationship with psychiatric symptoms
Author(s) -
Friedmann Peter D.,
Melnick Gerald,
Jiang Lan,
Hamilton Zachary
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
behavioral sciences and the law
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1099-0798
pISSN - 0735-3936
DOI - 10.1002/bsl.824
Subject(s) - psychiatry , prison , substance abuse , poison control , antisocial personality disorder , suicidal ideation , clinical psychology , personality , suicide prevention , conduct disorder , medicine , psychology , injury prevention , medical emergency , social psychology , criminology
This study examines the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and violent/disruptive behavior among 192 inmates who participated in prison‐based substance abuse treatment. Participants came from two sites able to provide narrative reports of disciplinary actions in the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies' Co‐Occurring Disorders Screening Instrument study. In multivariate logistic models, a lifetime history of thought insertion/control ideation (OR, 11.6; 95% CI, 1.8–75.2), antisocial personality disorder (OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.2–8.9), and disciplinary action related to possession of controlled substances or contraband (OR, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.9–12.3) were associated with increased risk for violent or disruptive behavior while in prison, whereas lifetime phobic symptoms (OR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1–0.54) and high school graduation (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2–1.0) were associated with a decreased risk of violence and disruptive behavior in general. We conclude that, among inmates in substance abuse treatment, symptoms that increase risk for violence or disruptive behavior include thought control/insertion ideation and disciplinary infractions related to controlledsubstances, contraband, or failure to participate in assigned programs, as well a history of antisocial personality disorder. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.