Readiness to Change Among Justice-involved Young Adults in an Alternative Sentencing Program Who Screened Positive for Alcohol or Drug Risk

Overview

Journal Addict Behav Rep

Date 2022 Sep 23

PMID 36147454

Authors

Megan A OGrady

Susan Tross

Alwyn Cohall

Patrick Wilson

Renee Cohall

Stephanie Campos

Sin Lee

Curtis Dolezal

Katherine S Elkington

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Readiness to change is a key component of substance use behavioral change; yet little is known about readiness to change among justice-involved young adults. This study 1) describes readiness to change alcohol and drug use and 2) examines predictors of readiness to change alcohol and drug use among justice-involved young adults.

Method: Justice-involved young adults (18-24 years; n = 137) who were positive on a validated alcohol and/or drug screening tool completed an interview assessing substance use, readiness to change, and reasons to quit. A multivariable linear regression model examined whether reasons to change and substance use severity, and interactions between these, predicted readiness.

Results: More than half of participants were contemplating or had decided to quit/cut down substance use. Personal reasons to quit were positively related to readiness to change; interpersonal reasons were negatively associated.

Conclusions: This study contributes information needed to design motivational interventions for substance use among justice-involved young adults. Personal reasons to quit using drugs are a potential intervention target.

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