Understanding substance use patterns in offenders with mental illness following discharge into the community: a cohort study

Vollständiger Abstract

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Purpose Offenders with cooccurring substance misuse and mental illness are at an increased risk of negative outcomes, including reoffending. This study aims to explore the profiles of substance use, reoffending and hospital readmissions in individuals who have a mental illness and have committed a serious offence to inform the development of interventions. Design/methodology/approach Secondary data was collected from 66 adults under a Community Forensic Team. Substance use, mental health and offending profiles were collected, as were the types of substance use interventions completed. Rates of reoffending and readmission to psychiatric hospitals were recorded. Fisher’s Exact tests were used to examine the data. Findings There were high rates of substance use within the population (95.45%), the rates of which decreased following hospitalisation. Alcohol and cannabis use were most commonly reported. Limited information was available regarding completed substance use interventions. Completing an intervention was not significantly associated with post-discharge substance use. Relapse in substance use was associated with readmission to hospital but not reoffending. Practical implications High rates of post-discharge substance use call for more robust empirical evidence surrounding interventions and clinical guidelines within this population. A critical area of improvement is in the sharing of intervention work to enable continuation of care from hospital to community settings. Further research and investment are needed to identify effective ways of improving outcomes in substance misuse for individuals with a mental illness and offending behaviour. Originality/value This study provides insights into current substance use profiles within individuals who have co-occurring forensic and mental health needs.