“I know if I drink I won’t feel anything”: substance use relapse among depressed women leaving prison

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore treatment needs and factors contributing to engagement in substance use and sobriety among women with co-occurring substance use and major depressive disorders (MDDs) as they return to the community from prison.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper used qualitative methods to evaluate the perspectives of 15 women with co-occurring substance use and MDDs on the circumstances surrounding their relapse and recovery episodes following release from a US prison. Women were recruited in prison; qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews conducted after prison release and were analyzed using grounded theory analysis. Survey data from 39 participants supplemented qualitative findings.

Findings

Results indicated that relationship, emotion, and mental health factors influenced women's first post-prison substance use. Women attributed episodes of recovery to sober and social support, treatment, and building on recovery work done in prison. However, they described a need for comprehensive pre-release planning and post-release treatment that would address mental health, family, and housing/employment and more actively assist them in overcoming barriers to care.

Practical implications

In-prison and aftercare treatment should help depressed, substance using women prisoners reduce or manage negative affect, improve relationships, and obtain active and comprehensive transitional support.

Originality/value

Women with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders are a high-risk population for negative post-release outcomes, but limited information exists regarding the processes by which they relapse or retain recovery after release from prison. Findings inform treatment and aftercare development efforts.

Citation

E. Johnson, J., Chatav Schonbrun, Y., E. Nargiso, J., C. Kuo, C., T. Shefner, R., A. Williams, C. and Zlotnick, C. (2013), "“I know if I drink I won’t feel anything”: substance use relapse among depressed women leaving prison", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 169-186. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-02-2013-0009