Impacts of age of onset of substance use disorders on risk of adult incarceration among disadvantaged urban youth: A propensity score matching approach

Abstract

Background-Age of onset of substance use disorders in adolescence and early adulthood could be associated with higher rates of adult criminal incarceration in the U.S., but evidence of these associations is scarce.Methods-Propensity score matching was used to estimate the association between adolescentonset substance use disorders and the rate of incarceration, as well as incarceration costs and selfreported criminal arrests and convictions, of young men predominantly from African American, lower income, urban households. Age of onset was differentiated by whether onset of the first disorder occurred by age 16.Results-Onset of a substance use disorder by age 16, but not later onset, was associated with a fourfold greater risk of adult incarceration for substance related offenses as compared to no disorder (0.35 vs. 0.09, P=0.044). Onset by age 16 and later onset were both positively associated with incarceration costs and risk of arrest and conviction, though associations with crime outcomes were more consistent with respect to onset by age 16. Results were robust to propensity score adjustment for observable predictors of substance use in adolescence and involvement in crime as an adult.Conclusion-Among young men in this high risk minority sample, having a substance use disorder by age 16 was associated with higher risk of incarceration for substance related offenses in early adulthood and with more extensive criminal justice system involvement as compared to having no disorder or having a disorder beginning at a later age.

Comparative Effectiveness of California’s Proposition 36 and Drug Court Programs Before and After Propensity Score Matching

“…Propensity score matching is an analytical approach that corrects for selection biases and, as such, is an effective tool for achieving comparison groups that are adjusted to be statistically unbiased (D’Agostino, 1998; Rosenbaum & Rubin, 1983, 1985). A growing number of substance abuse and criminology research studies have applied propensity score matching techniques (e.g., DeLisi, Barnes, Beaver, & Gibson, 2009; French, Fang, & Fretz, in press; Slade et al, 2008; Ye & Kaskutas, 2009). …”

Psychiatric Disorder in Detained Male Adolescents as Risk Factor for Serious Recidivism

“…Because substances such as cocaine, heroine, and amphetamines are expensive, young adults with other drug use disorders may participate in drug selling and other crimes (for example, violence and burglary) to maintain their substance use. 17 Thus, from a criminological perspective, the judicial handling of these people and the consequences of their illegal activities causes an enormous financial and emotional burden to society. From a mental health perspective, substance-related offences in adolescents are related to SUD and other mental disorders.…”

Childhood trauma, PTSD, and problematic alcohol and substance use in low-income, African-American men and women

“…At least 85,000 deaths in the United States in 2000 can be attributed to alcohol and another 17,000 to illicit substances (Mokdad, Marks, Stroup, & Gerberding, 2004), and alcohol alone accounts for 3.8% of global deaths and 4.6% of the global burden of disease and injury (Rehm, Mathers, Popova, Thavorncharoensap, Teerawattananon, & Patra, 2009). Alcohol and substance use disorders are associated with increased risk for a range of negative outcomes, including divorce, homelessness, partner and child abuse perpetration, psychiatric hospitalization, incarceration, and death by homicide and suicide (Collins, Ellickson, & Klein, 2007; Darke, Duflou, & Torok, 2009; Grinman et al, 2010; Klostermann & Fals-Stewart, 2006; Opsal, Kristensen, Larsen, Syversen, Rudshaug, Gerdner, & Clausen, 2013; Rehm et al, 2007; Slade, Stuart, Salkever, Karakus, Green, & Ialongo, 2008; Wells, 2009). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly comorbid with alcohol and substance use disorders (Swendsen et al, 2010) and is also associated with serious social, emotional, and physical dysfunction (Boarts, Sledjeski, Bogart, & Delahanty, 2006; Drescher, Rosen, Burling, & Foy, 2003;North & Smith, 1992; Taft, Pless, Stalans, Koenen, King, & King, 2005).…”