Stimulant Use by Young Adult African Americans in a Rural Community: A Pipeline to Prison?

Abstract

The association between stimulant use and legal outcomes was examined in rural adults aged 18–21 years (n = 98) in the Mississippi River Delta of Arkansas from 2003 through 2008. Participants were interviewed at baseline and every 6 months for 2 years, using the Substance Abuse Outcomes Module, Addiction Severity Index, Short-Form 8 Health Survey, Brief Symptom Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire depression screen, and an abbreviated antisocial personality disorder measure. More than three quarters were arrested before baseline; 47 were arrested over the next 2 years. Early arrest but not substance use was related to subsequent arrest. Limitations and implications for interventions are discussed.

RÉSUMÉ

Usage de stimulant par Jeunes Américains africains Adultes dans une Communauté Rurale: Un Pipe-line à la Prison?

Soustraire L'association entre l'usage de stimulant et les issues légales a été examinée dans les adultes ruraux 18–21 ans (n = 98) dans le Delta de Rivière de Mississippi d'Arkansas de 2003 par 2008. Les participants ont été interviewés à la base et chaque six mois utilisant depuis deux ans la Substance l'Abus Issues Module, l'Indice de Sévérité de Dépendance, la Court-Forme 8 Enquête de Santé, Symptôme Inventaire Bref, l'Ecran de Dépression de Questionnaire de Santé Patient, et une mesure de Désordre de Personnalité Sauvage abrégée. Plus que les trois-quarts ont été avant arrêtés que la base; 47 ont été arrêtés pendant les deux années prochaines. Tôt la prise mais pas l'usage de substance a été relaté à la prise subséquente. Les limitations et les implications pour les interventions sont discutées.

RESUMEN

El Uso del estimulante por Jóvenes norteamericanos africanos Adultos en una Comunidad Rural: ¿Un Conducto a la Prisión?

La asociación entre el uso de estimulante y resultados legales fueron revisados en adultos rurales 18–21 años (n = 98) en el Delta de Mississippi de Arkansas de 2003 por 2008. Los participantes fueron entrevistados en línea de fondo y cada seis meses utilizando durante dos años el Módulo de Resultados de Abuso de Sustancia, el Indice de Severidad de Vicio, la Corto-Forma 8 Inspección de la Salud, Inventario Breve de Síntoma, Pantalla Paciente de Depresión de Cuestionario de Salud, y una medida Antisocial abreviada de Desorden de Personalidad. Los más de-tres cuartos fueron detenidos antes que línea de fondo; 47 fueran detenidos en los próximos dos años. El arresto temprano pero no uso de sustancia fue relacionado al arresto subsiguiente. Las limitaciones y las implicaciones para intervenciones son discutidas.

Keywords :

• cocaine
• adolescence
• rural
• African American
• arrest
• criminal justice

THE AUTHORS

Teresa L. Kramer, Ph.D., is the Associate Director of the Psychiatric Research Institute and Chief Psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine. She is also an Associate Professor in the UAMS College of Public Health. Her research has been on adolescent substance abuse and depression, particularly how to improve access, quality, and outcomes of care in routine settings. She has also studied the effects of trauma in child and adult populations. She has expertise in forming community partnerships, conducting needs assessments, and monitoring fidelity of community practices. Her postdoctoral fellowship at the Wright State University specialized in child assessment and therapy. She completed her psychology internship at the Medical University of South Carolina and graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Ph.D. and M.A. in clinical psychology.

Laverne Bell-Tolliver, Ph.D., LCSW, is an assistant professor in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's School of Social Work. She holds a Master's degree in social work from the School of Social Work at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a Master's degree in biblical counseling from Dallas Theological Seminary, in Dallas, Texas. Her Ph.D. is in family therapy from the Texas Woman's University. Dr. Bell-Tolliver's research interests include exploring how traditional strengths of African American families can be utilized within the context of the clinical setting to bring about successful therapy outcomes. She is also interested in exploring how parental contacts between incarcerated inmates and their children may decrease negative behavior within the home and classroom setting.

Shanti Prakash Tripathi, M.S., is a statistician with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He has been providing statistical expertise on health services research projects concerning individuals with substance use and psychiatric disorders for the past 8 years. Currently, he is involved in the Healthy Minds Study examining mental health issues among college and university students. He is currently providing statistical expertise on a project examining posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans through Virtual Reality technique, has worked on a study of collaborative care for depression in HIV clinics, and has been involved in a project examining psychiatric comorbidity in hospitalized medical and surgical veterans.

Brenda Booth, Ph.D., has been conducting health services research concerning individuals with substance use and misuse and psychiatric disorders for the past 15 years. She recently completed ‘‘The Rural Alcohol Study,’’ a six-state community survey of at-risk drinkers in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine rural/urban differences in the use of alcohol services and course of drinking. She has also studied psychiatric comorbidity in hospitalized medical and surgical veterans, focusing on functional impairment associated with concurrent psychiatric disorders in medically ill individuals.