Research/Document Library

Co-occurring Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders Within a Countywide System: Who Interfaces With the Jail and Who Does Not?

The presence of a co-occurring substance use disorder increases the risk of incarceration for those with a serious mental illness. To examine the interface between jail and mental health systems, a sample of 1,440 individuals diagnosed with both disorders was followed for 48 months using administrative data. The majority (63 percent) experienced incarceration with a median length of stay of 14 days. Predictors of incarceration were a more severe substance use diagnosis and younger age. These findings inform community-wide discussions aimed at enhancing coordination and collaboration between systems with the specific goal of decreasing the high prevalence of jail interface for this population.

Available online

http://www.tandfonline.com/

Author(s)

Sheryl Pimlott Kubiaka ; Lynnette Essenmacher ; Julie Hanna ; April Zeoli

Date

2011

Periodical

Journal of Offender Rehabilitation

Issue or page citation

Volume:50 Issue:1-4 Dated:January 2011 Pages:1 to 17