title: Co-occurring risk factors for arrest among persons with opioid abuse and dependence: implications for developing interventions to limit criminal justice involvement.
abstract: Persons who abuse or are dependent on opioids are at elevated risk for arrest. Co-occurring behavioral health problems may exacerbate that risk, although the extent of any such increase has not been described. This study examines such risk factors among 40,238 individuals with a diagnosis of opioid abuse or dependence who were enrolled in the Massachusetts Medicaid program in 2010. Medicaid data were merged with statewide arrest data to assess the effects of co-existing mental illness, substance abuse, and previous arrests on arrest during 2010. Persons with serious mental illnesses (psychotic and bipolar disorders) and those with two or more pre-2010 arrests had significantly increased greater odds of arrest. We believe this to be the first study examining effects of co-occurring risk factors on arrest in a large population with opioid dependency/abuse. These findings identify predictors of arrest that could be used to design interventions targeting specific co-occurring risk factors.
authors.affiliation: School of Criminology and Justice Studies, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Health and Social Sciences Building, Suite 4, Lowell, MA 01854, USA. Electronic address: William_Fisher@uml.edu.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Policy Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 33 South Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baxter
authors.affiliation: Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Policy Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Connell
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Policy Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aweh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology*; D003416:Criminal Law / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications
keywords: Co-occurring psychiatric illness; Criminal justice involvement; Opioid dependency and abuse