Brief Trauma and Mental Health Assessments for Female Offenders in Addiction Treatment

Abstract

Increasing numbers of women in prison raise concerns about gender-specific problems and needs severity. Female offenders report higher trauma as well as mental and medical health complications than males, but large inmate populations and limited resources create challenges in administering proper diagnostic screening and assessments. This study focuses on brief instruments that address specialized trauma and health problems, along with related psychosocial functioning. Women from two prison-based treatment programs for substance abuse were assessed (N = 1,397), including one facility for special needs and one for regular female offenders. Results affirmed that those admitted to the special-needs facility reported more posttraumatic stress symptoms, higher rates of psychological stress and previous hospitalizations, and more health issues than those in the regular treatment facility. Findings supporting use of these short forms and their applications as tools for monitoring needs, progress, and change over time are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• brief assessments
• health
• prison-based treatment
• trauma
• women

Acknowledgments

This program of research has been funded primarily under a series of grants to Texas Christian University (R37DA13093, D. D. Simpson, Principal Investigator, and R01DA025885, W. E. K. Lehman, Principal Investigator) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (NIDA/NIH). The research protocol was approved by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and was conducted in cooperation with Gateway Foundation. Interpretations and conclusions, however, are entirely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the NIDA, NIH, or Department of Health and Human Services. TCU Short Forms and related user guides are available from the IBR Web site at www.ibr.tcu.edu. Assessment forms, intervention manuals, and other addiction treatment resources can be downloaded and used without cost in nonprofit applications.

Notes

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