“He Was the Story of My Drug Use Life”: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study of the Impact of Partner Incarceration on Substance Misuse Patterns Among African American Women

Abstract

This NIH-funded longitudinal qualitative study explored pathways through which partner incarceration affected substance misuse among African American women. Four waves of semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 substance-misusing African American women whose partners had recently been incarcerated. Data were collected in Atlanta, Georgia, during 2010–2011. Transcripts were analyzed using grounded theory methods. Analyses suggest that partner incarceration initially precipitated multiple crises in women's lives (e.g., homelessness); over time, and with formal and informal support, women got their lives “back on track.” Substance misuse declined over time, though spiked for some women during the crisis period. We discuss implications for research and interventions.

Keywords :

• substance misuse
• women
• African Americans
• criminal justice
• incarceration
• qualitative methods
• longitudinal design

THE AUTHORS

Hannah LF Cooper, ScD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health. Her research centers on the social determinants of health, and she has a particular focus on applying multilevel, geospatial, and qualitative methods to understanding whether and how structural factors and place characteristics affect health and well-being.

Claire Ducharme Clark is a dual degree candidate in Behavioral Sciences (MPH) and the interdisciplinary program in Culture, Science, and History (PhD) at Emory University. Her primary research interest is in the historical and social determinants of health with a focus on cultures of addiction and recovery. Her dissertation work explores the development of the addiction treatment industry in the United States since the 1960s.

Terrika Barham received a Master's in Public Health from Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health in 2009. She has over 6 years of experience managing federally funded research studies on HIV/AIDS, chronic disease, and topics related to social determinants of health. Her current work includes evaluating evidence-based HIV behavioral interventions, using an ongoing efficacy review process, to help United States HIV prevention providers and planners select effective interventions that are most appropriate for their communities.

Venita Embry is a Public Health Research Analyst at RTI International in the Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Research Division. Venita completed her Masters in Public Health at Emory University in 2012 where she studied Behavioral Sciences and Health Education. Venita received her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University. She currently resides in New York City, New York. Her research areas of interest include incarcerated families, substance abuse, partner victimization, and adolescent health.

Bethany Caruso, MPH, is interested in gender and health. She is currently (2013) pursuing her doctorate in Behavioral Science and Health Education at Emory University investigating impacts of poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene on women's and adolescent girls’ well-being in low-income countries. Her current research specifically seeks to understand girls’ experiences managing menstruation given their social, cultural, and natural environments, and how menstrual management may influence behaviors and developmental (educational, economic, and social) outcomes.

Megan Comfort, PhD, is a Senior Research Sociologist in the Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Research Division at RTI International and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Her areas of interest are the impact of incarceration on intimate relationships, sexual health, and HIV/AIDS, and health inequities among urban poor populations.

Notes

1 All names are pseudonyms.