Substance Abuse and Trauma in Incarcerated Women

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: 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. Those in the treatment group will improve significantly more than those in the comparison group on the symptoms listed above.

Helping Women Recover/Beyond Trauma integrated substance abuse and trauma treatment group. (Dr. Covington)

a comparison group of incarcerated women will receive the pre and post assessments with no interventions.

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.

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

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

36 item assesment of cognitions related to world, self and blame to be administered pre-treatment and one week following 4 month treatment completion.

Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), NIMH is a 20 item depression inventory to be administered pre-treatment and one week following 4 month treatment completion.

50 item assessment of alcohol and drugs self efficacy to be administered pre-treatment and one week following 4 month treatment completion.

100 item trauma symptoms questionnaire to be administered pre-treatment and one week following 4 month treatment completion.

two scales from the PSI and selected parenting issues from incarcerated women to be administered pre-treatment and one week following 4 month treatment completion.

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: An Level of Service Inventory (LSI) score of 30 or greater An LSI protective score of 15 or less 1.5 years or less remaining in prison A Case Plan identifying substance abuse treatment need Ability to read and comprehend 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