Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008;26(4):403-12.
doi: 10.1002/bsl.831.

Gender differences in comorbid disorders among offenders in prison substance abuse treatment programs

Caron Zlotnick  1 , Jennifer G Clarke, Peter D Friedmann, Mary B Roberts, Stanley Sacks, Gerald Melnick
Affiliations

Gender differences in comorbid disorders among offenders in prison substance abuse treatment programs

Caron Zlotnick et al. Behav Sci Law. 2008.

Abstract

This study examined gender differences in a range of lifetime psychiatric disorders in a sample of 272 offenders newly admitted to a prison substance abuse program. Although these men and women did not differ in severity of substance use in the six months prior to incarceration, women were significantly more likely than men to report a lifetime psychiatric disorder and a lifetime severe disorder. Furthermore, gender differences emerged in the pattern of lifetime psychiatric comorbidity. Women reported greater lifetime major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, eating disorder, and borderline personality disorder; men were more likely than women to meet criteria for antisocial personality disorder. Additionally, female offenders were found to have a higher degree of internalizing disorders than male offenders, but there were no gender differences in degree of externalizing disorders. The study concluded that women offenders newly admitted to a prison substance abuse program present with a greater psychiatric vulnerability and a different pattern of psychiatric comorbidity than their male counterparts.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Abram KM, Teplin LA, McClelland GM. Comorbidity of severe psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders among women in jail. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2003;160:1007–1010. - PubMed
    1. Alemagno SA. Women in jail: Is substance abuse treatment enough? American Journal of Public Health. 2001;91(5):798–800. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Baldassano CF. Assessment tools for screening and monitoring bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorders. 2005;7(1):8–15. - PubMed
    1. Blackburn R. Classification and assessment of personality disorders in mentally disordered offenders: A psychological perspective. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health. 2000;10:S8–S33.
    1. Broome KM, Knight K, Joe GW, Simpson DD. Evaluating the drug-abusing probationer: Clinical interview versus self-administered assessment. Criminal Justice and Behavior. 1996;23(4):593–606.