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Co‐occurring mental health problems among substance dependent offenders of intimate partner violence

Caroline J. Easton (Based at Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, Connecticut, USA)

Advances in Dual Diagnosis

ISSN: 1757-0972

Article publication date: 18 May 2012

329

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate differences between substance dependent men who were arrested for intimate partner violence (IPV) with and without concurrent psychiatric problems.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 63 participants were randomly assigned to manual‐guided group behavioral therapies (cognitive behavioral therapy for substance dependent domestic violence offenders (SADV) or drug counseling (DC)) and assessed across 12 weeks of treatment.

Findings

Despite excluding psychotic disorders and bipolar disorders at baseline, 23 percent of clients reported prior mental health treatment. SADV participants with co‐occurring mental health were different than SADV participants without co‐occurring mental health symptoms on both baseline and post‐treatment time periods. SADV participants with co‐occurring mental health symptoms had more pre‐treatment impairments, more drug use during treatment, a trend for more problems with aggressive behaviors throughout treatment and significantly more impairments in anger control subscales at post treatment compared to SADV participants without co‐occurring mental health symptoms.

Practical implications

The findings suggest the need to target and treat co‐occurring psychiatric symptoms and distress among SADV offenders. Perhaps offering clients targeted behavioral or pharmacotherapy adjunctive treatments can help improve treatment outcomes among substance dependent offenders of IPV when mental health problems are present.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first to evaluate differences between substance dependent men arrested for IPV with and without concurrent psychiatric problems. It shows that men who are violent toward their partners tend to have a co‐occurring problem with addiction, yet little is known about differences between substance dependent male offenders who have dual mental health problems.

Keywords

Citation

Easton, C.J. (2012), "Co‐occurring mental health problems among substance dependent offenders of intimate partner violence", Advances in Dual Diagnosis, Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 86-93. https://doi.org/10.1108/17570971211241921

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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