A Comparison of Marijuana Use Across Different Levels of Justice-Involved Populations

2021 ◽  
pp. 002204262110563
Author(s):  
Traccy A.W. Martins ◽  
Jason A. Ford

A large portion of the U.S. population is justice-involved, an important at-risk population with poor physical/mental health outcomes and increased rates of substance use. Using the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the current study assesses marijuana use across level of community-based justice involvement (i.e., arrest, probation, and parole) among adults. Given increasing rates of marijuana use and a relative lack of research, the current study addresses an important gap in the literature. Findings from logistic regression analysis show that adults who had been arrested or were on probation were more likely to use marijuana compared to adults with no justice involvement, while adults on parole were less likely to use marijuana than those on probation. This study offers evidence of differences in marijuana use across level of justice involvement, which may be attributable to other substance use behaviors, and has important implications for criminal justice practice.

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarvenaz Esmaeelzadeh ◽  
John Moraros ◽  
Lilian Thorpe ◽  
Yelena Bird

Background: The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the association and directionality between mental health disorders and substance use among adolescents and young adults in the U.S. and Canada. Methods: The following databases were used: Medline, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. Meta-analysis used odds ratios as the pooled measure of effect. Results: A total of 3656 studies were screened and 36 were selected. Pooled results showed a positive association between depression and use of alcohol (odds ratio (OR) = 1.50, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.24–1.83), cannabis (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.10–1.51), and tobacco (OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.43–1.92). Significant associations were also found between anxiety and use of alcohol (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.19–2.00), cannabis (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.02–1.81), and tobacco (OR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.54–3.17). A bidirectional relationship was observed with tobacco use at baseline leading to depression at follow-up (OR = 1.87, CI = 1.23–2.85) and depression at baseline leading to tobacco use at follow-up (OR = 1.22, CI = 1.09–1.37). A unidirectional relationship was also observed with cannabis use leading to depression (OR = 1.33, CI = 1.19–1.49). Conclusion: This study offers insights into the association and directionality between mental health disorders and substance use among adolescents and young adults. Our findings can help guide key stakeholders in making recommendations for interventions, policy and programming.


2022 ◽  
pp. 479-490
Author(s):  
Vibeke Koushede ◽  
Robert Donovan

AbstractThis chapter highlights the relevance of mental health as a resource and risk for population health and describes mental health problems and related financial and social implications for society, which has led to an increased focus on prevention of mental health problems in health policy lately. Using the river metaphor of salutogenesis and a mental health ease–disease continuum, mental health is seen not as a stable trait but rather as a constant process, which needs to be protected and promoted. Thus, mental health promotion is foremost focused on protective factors and promoting mental health resources at different levels of society and is relevant to everyone.The authors also present and describe the ‘Act-Belong-Commit’/‘ABCs of Mental Health’ Campaign, a world-first comprehensive, population-wide, community-based mental health promotion campaign designed to promote mental health and prevent mental ill health.


10.2196/29427 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. e29427
Author(s):  
Ijeoma Opara ◽  
Noelle R Leonard ◽  
Daneele Thorpe ◽  
Trace Kershaw

Background Substance use among youth is a major public health concern. Of note, substance use among youth is increasing in prevalence, and the incidence of substance use at earlier ages is rising. Given the long-term consequences of early substance use, it is important to identify factors that increase youth vulnerability to drug use, as they may be important targets for future interventions. Objective This study aims to use innovative methods, such as venue-based sampling, to recruit youth who are disconnected from school and use community-based participatory research to gain a better understanding of the prevalence of substance use and important correlates among youth aged between 13 and 21 years in Paterson, New Jersey, a low-income, urban community. The study will use a convergent, mixed methods design involving multiple data collection components and the analysis of a ministrative data source, designed with the strengths of complex intervention frameworks in mind. The overall aims of the study are to identify the prevalence of substance use among youth who are engaged in school and not engaged in school; to understand important antecedents and correlates of substance use; and to use this information to inform social, environmental, and culturally appropriate interventions to address substance use and its correlates among youths in a lower-resourced urban community. Methods This study will use both qualitative and quantitative methods to address important questions. Specifically, semistructured interviews using focus group and interview methodologies will be used to assess youths’ lived experiences and will account for specific details that quantitative methods may not be able to attain. In addition, quantitative methods will be used to examine direct and multilevel associations between neighborhood factors and youth substance use and mental health outcomes. Results A previous analysis from a substance use initiative in Paterson, New Jersey found that youth who use substances such as marijuana and alcohol are more likely to have higher rates of depression and anxiety. On the basis of the research questions, this study will examine the association between neighborhood characteristics, substance use, and mental health symptoms among youth in Paterson by using quantitative and qualitative methods and will use these findings to inform the adaptation of a community- and evidence-based substance use prevention intervention for these youths. Conclusions The findings of this study will provide an important contribution to understanding the role of socioecological factors in predicting substance use and mental health outcomes among youth in a lower-resourced, urban community. Furthermore, these findings will serve as evidence for the development of a culturally informed, community-based prevention program to address substance use disparities for youth, including those who are truant in Paterson, New Jersey. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/29427


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-172
Author(s):  
Kelly E. Moore ◽  
Lindsay Oberleitner ◽  
Brian P. Pittman ◽  
Walter Roberts ◽  
Terril L. Verplaetse ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Michael A. Hoge ◽  
Gail W. Stuart ◽  
John A. Morris ◽  
Leighton Y. Huey ◽  
Michal T. Flaherty ◽  
...  

Mental health and substance use conditions are among the most prominent causes of illness and disability in the U.S. Yet less than half of the individuals with these conditions receive treatment (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2011; Office of National Drug Control Policy [ONDCP], 2013). While there are many impediments to accessing care, the absence of a workforce that is of sufficient size and adequately trained is a significant factor (Olfson, 2016). This chapter provides an overview of the U.S. behavioral health workforce and describes seven strategic areas in which activity has been undertaken to strengthen it. The initiatives of the Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce are presented to highlight these strategic areas, which include assessment and planning; competency identification and development; roles for persons in recovery and family members; integrated care and interprofessional collaboration; workforce development in substance use; diversity and cultural competency; and knowledge dissemination and adoption of best practices.


2017 ◽  
pp. 40-49
Author(s):  
Rebecca M. Cunningham ◽  
Megan Ranney ◽  
Manya Newton ◽  
Whitney Woodhull ◽  
Marc Zimmerman ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE To characterize youth seeking care for assault injuries, the context of violence, and previous emergency department (ED) service utilization to inform ED-based injury prevention. METHODS A consecutive sample of youth (14–24) presenting to an urban ED with an assault injury completed a survey of partner violence, gun/knife victimization, gang membership, and context of the fight. RESULTS A total of 925 youth entered the ED with an assault injury; 718 completed the survey (15.4% refused); 730 comparison youth were sampled. The fights leading to the ED visit occurred at home (37.6%) or on streets (30.4%), and were commonly with a known person (68.3%). Fights were caused by issues of territory (23.3%) and retaliation (8.9%); 20.8% of youth reported substance use before the fight. The assault-injured group reported more peer/partner violence and more gun experiences. Assault-injured youth reported higher past ED utilization for assault (odds ratio [OR]: 2.16) or mental health reasons (OR: 7.98). Regression analysis found the assault-injured youth had more frequent weapon use (OR: 1.25) and substance misuse (OR: 1.41). CONCLUSIONS Assault-injured youth seeking ED care report higher levels of previous violence, weapon experience, and substance use compared with a comparison group seeking care for other complaints. Almost 10% of assault-injured youth had another fight-related ED visit in the previous year, and ∼5% had an ED visit for mental health. Most fights were with people known to them and for well-defined reasons, and were therefore likely preventable. The ED is a critical time to interact with youth to prevent future morbidity.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer E. Johnson ◽  
Jill Viglione ◽  
Niloofar Ramezani ◽  
Alison Cuellar ◽  
Maji Hailemariam ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. The criminal justice system is the largest provider of mental health services in the U.S. Many jurisdictions are interested in reducing the use of the justice system for mental health problems. The national Stepping Up Initiative works with counties to reduce the number of individuals with mental illness in jails and to improve access to mental health services in the community. The Implementation Mechanisms of Stepping Up (I.M. Stepping Up) Study leverages a large natural experiment created by comparing Stepping Up counties to matched comparison counties over time to examine implementation mechanisms and outcomes. Methods. The study will survey 475 Stepping Up counties and 475 matched comparison counties at three waves: baseline, 18 months, and 36 months. Surveys will be sent to up to four respondents per county including administrators of jail, probation, community mental health services, and community substance use treatment services (3,800 total respondents). Implementation target mechanisms include: (1) use of and capacity for performance monitoring; (2) use and functioning of interagency teams; (3) common goals and mission across agencies; and (4) system integration (i.e., building an integrated system of care rather than adding one program or training). We will examine whether Stepping Up counties show a faster rate of improvement in hypothesized target mechanisms between Wave 1 and subsequent assessments (i.e., Waves 2 and 3) than do comparison counties (primary). We will also examine whether Stepping Up counties show a faster increases in implementation outcomes (number of justice-involved clients receiving behavioral health services, number of behavioral health evidence-based practices and policies [EBPPs] available to justice-involved individuals, and resources for behavioral health EBPP for justice-involved individuals). We will evaluate whether engagement of hypothesized mechanisms explains differences in implementation outcomes. Finally, we will characterize implementation processes and critical incidents using survey responses and qualitative interviews. Discussion. There are few rigorous, prospective studies examining implementation mechanisms and their relationship with behavioral health implementation outcomes in justice and associated community behavioral health settings. There is also limited understanding of implementation mechanisms that occur across systems with multiple goals. This study will elucidate target mechanisms in multi-goal, multi-agency systems.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aderibigbe Oluwakemi Olanike ◽  
Christopher M Perlman

AbstractBackgroundThe needs of people diagnosed with Mental Neurological and Substance-Use (MNS) conditions are complex including interactions physical, social, medical and environmental factors. Treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach including health and social services at different levels of care. However, due to inadequate assessment, services and scarcity of human resource for mental health, treatment of persons diagnosed with MNS conditions in many LMICs is mainly facility-based pharmacotherapy with minimal non-pharmacology treatments and social support services. In low resource settings, gaps in human resource capacity may be met using layperson health workers. A layperson health working is one without formal mental health training and may be equivalent to community health worker (CHW) or less cadre in primary health care system.ObjectivesThis study reviewed layperson mental health screening tools for use in supporting mental health in developing countries, including the content and psychometric properties of the tools. Based on this review this study proposes recommendations for the design and effective use of layperson mental health screening tools based on the Five Pillars of global mental health.MethodsA systematic review was used to identify and examine the use of mental health screening tools among laypersons supporting community-based mental health programs. PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and PsychInfo databases were reviewed using a comprehensive list of keywords and MESH terms that included mental health, screening tools, lay-person, lower and middle income countries. Articles were included if they describe mental health screening tools used by laypersons for screening, delivery or monitoring of MNS conditions in community-based program in LMICs. Diagnostic tools were not included in this study. Trained research interviewers or research assistants were not considered as lay health workers for this study.ResultsThere were eleven studies retained after 633 were screened. Twelve tools were identified covering specific disorders (E.g. alcohol and substance use, subcortical dementia associated with HIV/AIDS, PTSD) or common mental disorders (mainly depression and anxiety). These tools have been tested in LMICs including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Ethiopia and Brazil. The included studies show that simple screening tools can enhance the value of laypersons and better support their roles in providing community-based mental health support. However, most of the layperson MH screening tools used in LMICs do not provide comprehensive information that can inform integrated comprehensive treatment planning and understanding of the broader mental health needs of the community.ConclusionDeveloping a layperson screening tools is vital for integrated community-based mental health intervention. This study proposed a holistic framework which considers the relationship between individual’s physical, mental and spiritual aspect of mental health, interpersonal as well as broader contextual determinants (community, policy and different level of the health system) that can be consulted for developing or selecting a layperson mental health screening instrument. More research are needed to evaluate the practical application of this framework.


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