Social Support and Crack/Cocaine Use Among Incarcerated Mothers and Nonmothers

Abstract

Limited research shows that correlates of substance use differ for mothers and nonmothers. This study compares mothers and nonmothers by examining the relationship between perceived social support and frequency of crack/cocaine use. Data for the 307 female prisoners in this sample were collected between 2007 and in four US states during the Criminal Justice-Drug Abuse Treatment Studies’ (CJ-DATS) Reducing Risky Relationships for HIV protocol. Ordinary least squares regression models revealed that greater social support was significantly associated with less frequent crack/cocaine use among mothers but not nonmothers. Implications are discussed. This research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

RÉSUMÉ

Social utiliser le support et le crack / cocaïne chez les mères incarcérées et les non-mères

La recherche montre que les corrélats de limiter l'usage de substances diffèrent pour les mères et les non-mères. Cette étude compare les mères et les non-mères, en examinant la relation entre la perception du soutien social et la fréquence de crack / cocaïne utilisation. Les données pour les 307 femmes détenues dans cet échantillon ont été recueillies entre 2007–2008 dans quatre États américains pendant la justice pénale contre la drogue études Abuse Treatment “(CJ-DATS) Réduire des relations à risque pour le VIH protocole. Moins ordinaire modèles de régression des carrés a révélé que plus de soutien social était significativement associée à moins fréquentes crack/cocaïne utiliser pour les mères, mais pas les non-mères. Implications sont discutées. Cette recherche a été financée par le National Institute on Drug Abuse.

RESUMEN

Uso social de la ayuda y de la grieta/de la cocaína entre madres y no-madres incarcerated

La investigación limitada demuestra que los correlativos del uso de la sustancia diferencian para las madres y las no-madres. Este estudio compara madres y a no-madres examinando la relación entre la ayuda y la frecuencia sociales percibidas del uso de la grieta/de la cocaína. Los datos para los 307 presos femeninos en esta muestra fueron recogidos entre 2007–2008 en cuatro estados de los E.E.U.U. durante los estudios criminales del tratamiento del abuso de la Justicia-Droga (CJ-DATS) que reducían las relaciones aventuradas para el protocolo del VIH. Los modelos de regresión ordinarios de los minimos cuadraticos revelaron que la mayor ayuda social fue asociada perceptiblemente al uso menos frecuente de la grieta/de la cocaína para las madres pero no las no-madres. Se discuten las implicaciones. Esta investigación fue apoyada por el instituto nacional sobre tenencia ilícita de drogas.

Keywords :

• female
• cocaine
• incarceration
• social support
• criminal justice
• motherhood

THE AUTHORS

Kathi LH Harp, MA, is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Kentucky. She has F31 funding from the National Institutes of Drug Abuse to complete her dissertation examining the interplay between motherhood, social support, and substance use among African American women. Ms. Harp's research interests include pregnant women and mothers with substance-use problems and effective treatment modalities for substance-using women and mothers.

Carl Leukefeld is Professor and Chair of the Department of Behavioral Science and founding Director of the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research at the University of Kentucky. He is also the Bell Alcohol and Addictions Endowed Chair. He came to the University of Kentucky in 1990 to establish the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) where he filled administrative and research positions. He was also the Chief Health Services Officer of the United States Public Health Service. Dr. Leukefeld has published over 200 articles, chapters, books, and monographs. He has taught the undergraduate Alcohol and Problem Drinking course, the Dependency Behavior graduate course, and the Introduction to Clinical Medicine course to medical students. He currently is a reviewer and consulting editor for five journals, grant reviewer, and has been a member of the NIH Community-Level Health Promotion Study Section and the NIH/NIDA Health Services Initial Review Group. His research interests include treatment interventions, HIV prevention, criminal justice sanctions, and health services.

Carrie Oser, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Sociology Department and a Faculty Associate of the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research at the University of Kentucky. She has K01 funding from the National Institutes of Drug Abuse to examine the organizational, counselor, and individual-level effects on rural and urban client's substance abuse treatment outcomes as well as R01 funding to examine health disparities among African American women across criminal justice status. Dr. Oser's research interests include health services, health disparities, HIV risk behaviors/interventions, as well as substance abuse among either rural and/or criminal justice populations.

Notes

1 The reader is reminded that the concept and posited process of “protective”, as well as “risk”, are often noted in the literature, without adequately understanding their dimensions (linear, non-linear), its “demands”, the critical necessary conditions (endogenously as well as exogenously; from a micro to a macro level) which are necessary for them to operate (begin, continue, become anchored and integrate, change as de facto realities change, cease, etc.) or not to and whether their underpinnings are theory-driven, empirically-based, individual and/or systemic stake holder- bound, based upon “principles of faith”, historical observation, precedents and traditions that accumulate over time, perceptual and judgmental constraints, “transient public opinion.” or what. This is necessary to clarify if the term is not to remain as yet another shibboleth in a field of many stereotypes. Editor's note.