Psychiatric distress in incarcerated women with recent cocaine and alcohol abuse

Women frequently abuse cocaine and alcohol before incarceration. Research indicates that women in criminal justice settings also suffer high rates of psychiatric distress. This study aimed to determine how preincarceration abuse of alcohol and cocaine affected current psychiatric distress among female jail detainees held for 10-14 days.

A probability sample of women in a large urban jail (n = 469) were assessed for use of alcohol and cocaine during the 6 months before incarceration and for their current psychiatric distress. They were grouped based on their level of alcohol consumption and cocaine use: high cocaine/high alcohol; high cocaine/low alcohol; low cocaine/high alcohol; and low cocaine/low alcohol. Profile analysis was used to examine the relation of psychiatric distress, as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory, to levels of recent alcohol and cocaine use.

Psychiatric distress is highest (and similar) among women in the high cocaine groups, regardless of alcohol use, and psychiatric distress is lowest among those who used both substances infrequently. Characteristics of psychiatric distress differed based on level of alcohol use, but only when cocaine use was low. High alcohol and cocaine use alone and together also predict the likelihood of psychiatric distress reaching a diagnosable level of severity.

High cocaine, alcohol, or combined use is related to higher levels of psychiatric distress among incarcerated women in this jail. Women should be screened at the time of incarceration, and women who have alcohol and other drug problems should receive treatment that includes mental health services.