This pilot study compared outcomes for 94 women offenders in San Diego County, California, who participated in four drug court programs. Women were randomized to gender-responsive (GR) programs using Helping Women Recover and Beyond Trauma or standard mixed-gender treatment. Data were collected at program entry, during treatment, and approximately 22 months after treatment entry. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Results showed that GR participants had better in-treatment performance, more positive perceptions related to their treatment experience, and trends indicating reductions in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology. Both groups improved in their self-reported psychological well-being and reported reductions in drug use (p < .06) and arrest (a diagnosis of PTSD was the primary predictor of reductions in rearrest, p < .04). Findings show some beneficial effects of adding treatment components oriented toward women’s needs. Significant questions remain, particularly around PTSD and whether it should be targeted to improve substance use outcomes for women.

Traumatic experiences among women offenders can impact their psychological well-being and patterns of substance use and offending. However, rigorous research in this area for women offenders with a history of trauma is sparse. This study combined data from two previous studies of women offenders in order to provide greater statistical power in examining the psychological trends found in the individual studies. Specifically, women in gender-responsive treatment (GRT; n = 134) were compared to women in non-GRT (n = 143) in regard to their change in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related symptomatology from baseline to follow-up. The pooled sample of women were predominantly White (58%) or Hispanic (22%) and many had never been married (47%); their mean age was 36 years (SD = 8.9), and, on average, they had 12 years (SD = 1.8) of education. Methamphetamine was their primary drug (71%). Fifty-five percent of the women reported histories of sexual abuse and 37% physical abuse. Thirty-one percent had a PTSD diagnosis. Using Generalized Estimating Equations, significant group*time interactions were detected in PTSD (OR = .17) and some related symptomatology (re-experiencing: OR = .42, and avoidance: OR = .24). Given the aggregate impact of trauma in the lives of women offenders, they, their families, and their communities could benefit from research on how trauma influences their lives and on services that mitigate the negative impact of such histories.

Telepsychiatry appeared to be an acceptable and effective approach for providing psychiatric care for this population.

Substance abuse is a major public health concern that impacts not just the user but also the user’s family. The effect that parental substance abuse has on children has been given substantial attention over the years. Findings from the literature suggest that children of substance-abusing parents have a high risk of developing physical and mental health and behavioral problems. A number of intervention programs have been developed for parents who have a substance abuse problem. There have also been a number of interventions that have been developed for children who have at least one parent with a substance abuse problem. However, it remains unclear how we can best mitigate the negative effects that parental substance abuse has on children due to the scarcity of evaluations that utilize rigorous methodologies such as experimental designs. The purpose of this study is to review randomized controlled trials of intervention programs targeting parents with substance abuse problems and/or children with at least one parent with a substance abuse problem in order to identify programs that show some promise in improving the behavioral and mental health outcomes of children affected by parental substance abuse. Four randomized controlled trials that met our eligibility criteria were identified using major literature search engines. The findings from this review suggest that interventions that focus on improving parenting practices and family functioning may be effective in reducing problems in children affected by parental substance abuse. However, further research utilizing rigorous methodologies are needed in order to identify other successful interventions that can improve the outcomes of these children long after the intervention has ended.