Back to Search Start Over

Criminogenic Needs and Legal Problem Severity Among Legal System Involved Veterans.

Authors :
Bowdring MA
Macia KS
Shaffer PM
Smelson D
Blonigen DM
Source :
Military medicine [Mil Med] 2024 Jul 03; Vol. 189 (7-8), pp. e1544-e1551.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Background: Many veterans seeking behavioral health services have history of criminal-legal involvement. Research on criminogenic needs of legal system involved veterans is burgeoning. However, most research has relied on cross-sectional examinations and the vast majority of prior work has focused assessment on just one criminogenic need per study.<br />Methods: The present study evaluated seven key criminogenic needs of legal system involved veterans (N = 341) enrolled in one of three U.S. Veterans Health Administration residential behavioral health treatment programs. Criminogenic needs and legal problem severity were assessed at baseline, and at 6 months and 12 months post-baseline. Directionality of associations between participants' criminogenic needs and legal problem severity was examined using latent change score models.<br />Results: Results revealed having more antisocial associates at a previous timepoint was associated with greater subsequent improvements in legal problem severity ($\beta $=-0.01, P < 0.02) and greater improvements in legal problem severity predicted greater subsequent improvements in alcohol problem severity ($\beta $=0.13, P < 0.01).<br />Conclusions: In one of the most comprehensive single-study assessments of criminogenic needs among a sample of legal system involved veterans, results highlight links between antisocial associates and alcohol problem severity with legal problem severity.<br /> (© The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2023. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1930-613X
Volume :
189
Issue :
7-8
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Military medicine
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
38140960
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usad472