A study of the relationship between the criminal history and psychiatric comorbidity of DUI (Driving Under the Influence of alcohol and/or other drugs) offenders has never been conducted. Information from a study of these two important DUI-risk factors is critical to revitalize efforts to combat DUI. High rates of psychiatric comorbidity suggest that it is likely that untreated psychopathology contributes to the persisting rate of DUI events, including DUI-risk behaviors (such as alcohol abuse or driving to drinking venues), offenses (both arrested and undetected), and fatalities. Criminal behavior is related to DUI-risk, to psychopathology and to treatment resistance. This R03 application requests support to examine the impact of psychiatric comorbidity, criminality, and the interaction between them on repeat DUI offenders. The proposed study will create an information base including psychological assessments and criminal histories for a large group (N=779) of repeat DUI offenders. We will use that database to determine how the relationship between criminal behavior and psychological disorders, both current and previous, relates to DUI. Specifically, we will generate typologies that integrate criminal histories and psychiatric profiles, and use these typologies to predict DUI offense and re-offense. Understanding the dynamic roles of psychiatric comorbidity and criminality is essential to reducing and eventually eliminating DUI events via improved primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.
By examining the relationship between psychiatric comorbidity, criminality, and repeat DUI offense, the proposed study will be able to inform efforts to establish effective evidence-based treatment that can prevent DUI relapse.
| Nelson, Sarah E; Belkin, Katerina; LaPlante, Debi A et al. (2015) A Prospective Study of Psychiatric Comorbidity and Recidivism Among Repeat DUI Offenders. Arch Sci Psychol 3:8-17 |
