Polysubstance Use Patterns among Justice-Involved Individuals Who Use Opioids

Abstract

Aim

The current study explores pre-incarceration polysubstance use patterns among a justice-involved population who use opioids. Design: Setting: Data from prison and jail substance use programing in the state of Kentucky from 2015–2017 was examined. Participants: A cohort of 6,569 individuals who reported both pre-incarceration use of opioids and reported the use of more than one substance per day. Measurements: To determine the different typologies of polysubstance use involving opioids, latent profile analysis of the pre-incarceration thirty-day drug use of eight substances was conducted. Multinomial logistic regression predicted latent profile membership. Findings: Six unique profiles of polysubstance use involving opioids and other substances were found; Primarily Alcohol (9.4%), Primarily Heroin (19.0%), Less Polysubstance Use (34.3%), Tranquilizer Polysubstance Use (16.3%), Primarily Buprenorphine (7.8%), and Stimulant-Opioid (13.2%). Profiles differed by rural/urban geography, injection drug use, physical, and mental health symptoms. Conclusion: Findings indicate the heterogeneity of opioid use among a justice-involved population. More diverse polysubstance patterns may serve as a proxy to identifying individuals with competing physical and mental health needs. Future interventions could be tailored to polysubstance patterns during the period of justice-involvement.

Keywords:

• Opioid
• polysubstance use
• latent profile analysis
• criminal justice

Acknowledgements

This research would not have been possible without the Department of Corrections participation; however, the findings and ideas presented are solely those of the authors. This research represents part of a study that fulfilled dissertation requirements for the first author.

Disclosure statement

No conflict declared.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study can be made available on request from the corresponding author, AMB. The data are not publicly available due to confidentiality of participants.

Additional information

Funding

Supported by National Institute of Drug Abuse Grants T32DA035200 (Bunting; PI: Rush) and K02DA035116 (PI: Oser). The opinions expressed are those of the authors.