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