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Abstract
Background: There have been few assessments of women with substance misuse problem in secure psychiatric settings.
Aims: The aim is to describe the characteristics and psychometric test performance of women admitted to a medium secure hospital.
Method: Consecutive admission was classified into risk-relevant categories using case note data. Responses to psychometric measures of dependence, substance-related problems, self-efficacy, motivation for change, craving and coping were assessed.
Results: Forty-four out of 55 consecutive admissions had a risk-relevant pattern of substance use before admission. Analysis of psychometric test performance produced two groups of patients differentiated according to self-efficacy, craving and belief in the benefits of change.
Conclusions: Although further work needs to be done in assessing the applicability of specific psychometrics to specialist populations, findings reinforce the importance of matching treatment interventions to stages of readiness to change.