The Relationship Between Substance Abuse Treatment and Crime Relapse Among Individuals with Suspected Mental Disorder, Substance Abuse, and Antisocial Behavior: Findings from the MSAC Study

Abstract

Objective: To explore the relationship between regular substance abuse treatment and criminal recidivism in 403 male offenders with suspected mental disorder and substance abuse. Method: The study is observational, following a cohort of individuals during an observation period of up to 52 months. Individuals participating in planned substance abuse treatment were compared with nonparticipants with regard to crime relapse. Results: Individuals who had completed >6 weeks of substance abuse treatment had a significantly reduced risk (even considering possible and obtainable other criminogenic risk factors) of committing any new crime (HR = 0.346) as well as any new violent crime specifically (HR = 0.325) in comparison to a reference category of those who did not visit substance abuse clinics at all. Conclusion: Among forensic populations, adherence to interventions targeting substance abuse seems to be related to a reduced risk of criminal recidivism.

Keywords:

• Mental disorder
• substance abuse
• antisocial behavior
• substance abuse treatment
• criminality