The Role of Trauma In Baseline Functioning for Individuals Entering Substance Use Treatment from the Criminal Justice System

摘要

Problems- Trauma and post-traumatic symptoms have a profound effect on the lives of the individual. We know that rates of post-traumatic stress disorder range from 3-10% in the general population, however, rates of trauma, and the impact of trauma on other areas of functioning for individuals in the criminal justice system are less clear. The purpose of the current study was to determine the rate of trauma and the relationship of trauma to substance use and other psychiatric diagnoses in individuals who are referred to a forensic drug treatment center in New Haven, CT for evaluation. Methods- Participants were 145 men and women who were referred by the criminal justice system (ongoing court case or at risk of violation of probation) for a substance use evaluation. Data was collected at the clients’ initial visit to the treatment facility. Trauma was assessed by self-report on the PTSD Checklist – Civilian (PCL-C) version. This study compared the effects of a positive symptomatic score for PTSD on the PCL-C with demographic information and key factors upon admission to the treatment program. Results- Individuals entering the substance use program with self-reported trauma also evidenced poorer baseline functioning in general. This included higher rates of mood and anxiety disorder diagnoses, suicidal ideation, and substance use disorders. Additionally, of importance to this population, individuals reporting trauma evidenced greater number of days incarcerated in the past 30. Interestingly, no gender difference was observed in the rates of trauma. Implications- Overall, the results of this study suggest that PTSD correlates with negative baseline characteristics as expected based on prior research; however there are unique differences in rates of PTSD in the criminal justice population as compared to the general population.