Symptoms of depression and successful drug court completion

Natasha Mendoza, Jonathan R. Trinidad, Thomas H. Nochajski, Mark C. Farrell

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    19 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    The majority of drug abusing offenders who need substance abuse treatment do not receive it. Although interventions like drug court increase the probability of offender success, little is known about how co-occurring psychological symptoms impact drug court treatment outcomes. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that co-occurring psychological symptoms would have a significant relationship with successful drug court completion. Using a sample of suburban drug court enrollees (n = 122), multivariate logistic regression was conducted with successful drug court completion as the outcome variable. Predictor variables included symptom counts of depression, post-traumatic stress, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, psychosis, generalized anxiety, and social phobia. Results indicated that participants with fewer symptoms of depression were more likely to successfully complete drug court than participants with more symptoms. The present study extends previous research by demonstrating that symptoms of depression are related to poorer outcomes for drug court enrollees. Accordingly, drug courts need to address participants' symptoms of depression to maximize success.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)787-792
    Number of pages6
    JournalCommunity Mental Health Journal
    Volume49
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Dec 2013

    Keywords

    • Alcohol and drugs
    • Co-occurring psychological symptoms
    • Depression
    • Drug court
    • Mental health

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Health(social science)
    • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
    • Psychiatry and Mental health

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