THE IMPACT OF COMORBID PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS ON MISCONDUCTS AMONG INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Background

Approximately 25% of inmates meet criteria for ADHD, making this disorder prevalent in prison environments. ADHD is associated with alcohol/substance use disorders, complicating diagnosis and treatment in prison settings. Research has demonstrated that inmates with ADHD tend to engage in more violent and non-violent infractions. Thus, this study aims to examine the impact of comorbid disorders and psychostimulant treatment on misconducts among inmates with ADHD.

Methods

This sample consisted of inmates with ADHD placed at Central North Correctional Centre (CNCC) in Canada (n = 35). The number of misconducts were compared before psychostimulant treatment (2006-2011) to after (2012-2017).

Results

Inmates with comorbid alcohol use disorder (M = 0.82, SD = 1.19) displayed significantly more non-violent misconducts (t(33) = -2.23, p = 0.016) than non-comorbid inmates (M = 0.17, SD = 0.38). However, after psychostimulants were introduced, there were no group differences observed. Inmates with comorbid cannabis use disorder (M = 0.55, SD = 0.69) committed significantly more violent misconducts (t(33) = -1.81, p = 0.040) than non-comorbid inmates (M = 0.21, SD = 0.41). This remained consistent after psychostimulant treatment. No significant group differences were found regarding misconducts and cocaine use disorder across periods.

Discussion

Inmates diagnosed with comorbid alcohol/cannabis use disorder displayed significantly more misconducts, alluding to a worsening in behavioral regulation with the use of such substances. Interestingly, psychostimulant treatment appeared to maintain or mitigate the severity of misconducts, suggesting potential benefits from the use of psychostimulants among inmates with ADHD and comorbid alcohol/cannabis use disorder.