Substance Abuse and Trauma in Incarcerated Women

University of Tulsa95 enrolled

Overview

The proposed study will evaluate Covington's Helping Women Recover (HWR) plus Beyond Trauma (BT) curriculum with female offenders at Eddie Warrior Correctional Facility in Taft, Oklahoma. The purpose of the proposed study is to expand previous findings by including a comparison group of women that are not receiving treatment but are otherwise eligible, and by using outside evaluators to conduct the assessments. Furthermore, this study will extend the outcomes measured in previous evaluations by including measures of sleep disturbance, posttraumatic cognitions, and a more extensive assessment of trauma-related symptoms. The hypotheses for this study are listed below: 1. Incarcerated women with substance use disorders and history of trauma enrolled in the integrated treatment program (HWR plus BT) will report significantly fewer symptoms on measures of posttraumatic stress and associated cognitions, substance use, depression, and related symptoms following treatment than those in the comparison group. 2. Those in the treatment group will improve significantly more than those in the comparison group on the symptoms listed above.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Substance Abuse Trauma

Interventions

Helping Women Recover/Beyond TraumaBEHAVIORAL

Four treatment rounds will be conducted, and a goal of 20 women (10 from each group) will be recruited to participate in each round. A new treatment group will start every four months. Sessions are approximately 2 hours each, 3-4 times per week over four months in a group format. This treatment program will focus on the integrated treatment of trauma and substance abuse in women. Versions of the curriculum exist both for community and corrections populations. In this intervention the corrections version will be used.

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Incarcerated women at Eddie Warrior Correctional Center (EWCC) in Taft, Oklahoma * The following 6 criteria are then employed at EWCC for HWR/BT treatment eligibility: 1. An Level of Service Inventory (LSI) score of 30 or greater 2. An LSI protective score of 15 or less 3. 1.5 years or less remaining in prison 4. A Case Plan identifying substance abuse treatment need 5. Ability to read and comprehend 6. 18 years of age or older Exclusion Criteria: * Under age 18 * Not incarcerated * More than 1.5 years remaining in prison * LSI score less than 30 or a protective of more than 15 * No identified substance abuse need * Inability to read and comprehend

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

PTSD checklist (change from baseline at one week post treatment)

17 item post traumatic stress disorder symptoms checklist will be administered pre treatment and one week following 4 month treatment completion.

Time frame: one-week before treatment, one week post treatment

Trauma Related Nightmare Survey (change from baseline at one week post treatment)

brief assessment of nightmare frequency and severity to be administered pre-treatment and one week following 4 month treatment completion.