Research article Special Issues

Beyond the Gates: Identifying and Managing Offenders with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Community Probation Services

  • Received: 26 February 2014 Accepted: 12 March 2014 Published: 17 January 2014
  • Research has indicated that, compared with the general population, the prevalence of offenders with ADHD in prison is high. The situation for offenders managed in the community by the Probation Service is unknown. This study aimed to bridge the gap in our knowledge by (1) surveying the awareness of probation staff about ADHD and (2) screening the rate of offenders with ADHD managed within the service. In the first study, a brief survey was circulated to offender managers working in 7 Probation Trusts in England and Wales asking them to estimate the prevalence of offenders with ADHD on their caseload, the presenting problems of these offenders and challenges to their management, and the training received on the treatment and management of offenders with ADHD. The survey had a return rate of 11%. Probation staff perceived that 7.6% of their caseload had ADHD and identified this group to have difficulties associated with neuropsychological dysfunction, lifestyle problems and compliance problems. They perceived that these problems hindered meaningful engagement with the service and rehabilitation. Challenges to their management were perceived to be due to both internal processes (motivation and engagement) and external processes (inadequate or inappropriate interventions). Few respondents had received training in the management of offenders with ADHD and most wanted more support. In the second study, a sub-sample of 88 offenders in one Probation Trust completed questionnaires to screen for DSM-IV ADHD in childhood and current symptoms. The screen found an estimated prevalence of 45.45% and 20.51% for childhood and adulthood ADHD respectively and these were strongly associated with functional impairment. Thus probation staff considerably underestimated the likely rate, suggesting there are high rates of under-detection and/or misdiagnosis among offenders with ADHD in their service. The results indicate that screening provisions are needed in probation settings, together with training for staff.

    Citation: YoungSusan, GudjonssonGisliH, GoodwinEmilyJ, JotangiaAmit, FarooqRomana, HaddrickDavid, AdamouMarios. Beyond the Gates: Identifying and Managing Offenders with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Community Probation Services[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2014, 1(1): 33-42. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2014.1.33

    Related Papers:

  • Research has indicated that, compared with the general population, the prevalence of offenders with ADHD in prison is high. The situation for offenders managed in the community by the Probation Service is unknown. This study aimed to bridge the gap in our knowledge by (1) surveying the awareness of probation staff about ADHD and (2) screening the rate of offenders with ADHD managed within the service. In the first study, a brief survey was circulated to offender managers working in 7 Probation Trusts in England and Wales asking them to estimate the prevalence of offenders with ADHD on their caseload, the presenting problems of these offenders and challenges to their management, and the training received on the treatment and management of offenders with ADHD. The survey had a return rate of 11%. Probation staff perceived that 7.6% of their caseload had ADHD and identified this group to have difficulties associated with neuropsychological dysfunction, lifestyle problems and compliance problems. They perceived that these problems hindered meaningful engagement with the service and rehabilitation. Challenges to their management were perceived to be due to both internal processes (motivation and engagement) and external processes (inadequate or inappropriate interventions). Few respondents had received training in the management of offenders with ADHD and most wanted more support. In the second study, a sub-sample of 88 offenders in one Probation Trust completed questionnaires to screen for DSM-IV ADHD in childhood and current symptoms. The screen found an estimated prevalence of 45.45% and 20.51% for childhood and adulthood ADHD respectively and these were strongly associated with functional impairment. Thus probation staff considerably underestimated the likely rate, suggesting there are high rates of under-detection and/or misdiagnosis among offenders with ADHD in their service. The results indicate that screening provisions are needed in probation settings, together with training for staff.


    加载中
    [1] Young S, Adamou M, Bolea B, et al. (2011) The identification and management of ADHD offenders within the criminal justice system: a consensus statement from the UK Adult ADHD Network and criminal justice agencies.BMC Psychiatry, 11: 32.
    [2] Young S, Goodwin EJ, Sedgwick O., et al. (2013) The effectiveness of police custody assessments in identifying suspects with intellectual disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.BMC Medicine 11: 248.
    [3] Rösler M, Retz W, Retz-Junginger P, et al. (2004) Prevalence of attention deficit-/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid disorders in young male prison inmates.Eur Arch Psy Clin N 254: 365-371.
    [4] Young S, Gudjonsson GH, Misch P, et al. (2010) Prevalence of ADHD symptoms among youth in a secure facility: the consistency and accuracy of self- and informant-report ratings.J Forensic Psychi Ps 21: 238-246.
    [5] Rösler M, Retz W, Yaqoobi K, et al. (2009) Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in female offenders: prevalence, psychiatric comorbidity and psychosocial implications.Eur Arch Psy Clin. N 259: 98-105.
    [6] Polanczyk G, de Lima MS, Horta BL, et al. (2007) The Worldwide Prevalence of ADHD: A Systematic Review and Metaregression Analysis.Am J Psychiat 164: 942-948.
    [7] Simon, V, Czobor P, Balint S., et al. (2007) Prevalence and correlates of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: meta analysis.Br J Psychiatry 190: 402-409.
    [8] Langley K, Fowler T, Ford T, et al. (2010) Adolescent clinical outcomes for young people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.Br J Psychiatry 196: 235-240.
    [9] Young S, Wells J, Gudjonsson GH. (2011) Predictors of offending among prisoners: the role of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and substance use.J Psychopharmacology 25: 1524-1532.
    [10] Satterfield JH, Faller KJ, Crinella FM, et al. (2007) A 30-year prospective follow-up study of hyperactive boys with conduct problems: Adult criminality.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiat 46: 601-610.
    [11] Manuzza S, Klein RG, Konig PH, et al. (1989) Hyperactive boys almost grown up.Criminality and its relationship to psychiatric status. Arch Gen Psychiat 46: 1073-1079.
    [12] Ginsberg Y, Hirvikoski T, Lindefors N. (2010) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among longer-term prison inmates is a prevalent, persistent and disabling disorder.BMC Psychiatry 10: 112.
    [13] Gonzalez R, Gudjonsson GH, Wells J, et al. (2013) The role of emotional distress and ADHD on institutional behavioral disturbance and recidivism among offenders.J Attention Disord Prepublished on July 26: 2013.
    [14] Gudjonsson G H, Wells J, Young S. (2012) Personality Disorders and Clinical Syndromes in ADHD Prisoners.J Attention Disord 16: 305-314.
    [15] Young S, Gudjonsson GH, Wells J, et al. (2009) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and critical incidents in a Scottish prison population.Personality and Individual Differences, 46: 265-269.
    [16] Young S, Gudjonsson GH, Ball S, et al. (2003) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in personality disordered offenders and the association with disruptive behavioural problems.J Forensic Psychi Ps 14: 491-505.
    [17] Barkley RA, Fischer M, Smallish L, et al. (2002) The persistence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder into young adulthood as a function of reporting source and definition of disorder.J Abnorm Psychol 111: 279-289.
    [18] Westmoreland P, Gunter T, Loveless P, et al. (2010) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in men and women newly committed to prison: clinical characteristics, psychiatric comorbidity, and quality of life.Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol 54: 361-377.
    [19] Lichtenstein P, Halldner L, Zetterqvist J, et al. (2012) Medication for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and criminality.N Engl J Med 367: 2006-1014.
    [20] Ginsberg Y, Hirvikoski T, Grann M, et al. (2012) Long-term functional outcome in adult prison inmates with ADHD receiving OROS-methylphenidate.Eur Arch Psy Clin. N 262: 705-724.
    [21] Ginsberg Y, Lindefors N. (2012) Methylphenidate treatment of adult male prison inmates with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial with open-label extension.Br J Psychiatry 200: 68-73.
    [22] National Institute for Clinical Excellence. (2009) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Diagnosis and management of ADHD in children, young people and adults.NICE clinical guideline 72. London .
    [23] Seixas M, Weiss M, Muller U. (2012) Systematic review of national and international guidelines on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.J Psychopharmacol 26: 753-765.
    [24] Young SJ, Ross RR. (2007) R&R2 for ADHD Youths and Adults: A Prosocial Competence Training Program.Ottawa: Cognitive Centre of Canada. (www. cognitivecentre. ca) .
    [25] Tong LS, Farrington DP (2006) How effective is the “Reasoning and Rehabilitation” programme in reducing reoffending.A meta-analysis of evaluations in four countries. Psychol Crime Law 12: 3-24.
    [26] Emilsson B, Gudjonsson GH, Sigurdsson JF, et al. (2011) Cognitive behaviour therapy in medication-treated adults with ADHD and persistent Symptoms: A randomized controlled trial.BMC Psychiatry, 11: 116.
    [27] Young S, Hopkin G, Perkins D, et al. (2013) A controlled trial of a cognitive skills program for personality disordered offenders.J Attention Disorders 17: 598-607.
    [28] Mannuzza S, Klein RG, Klein DF, et al. (2002) Accuracy of adult recall of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Am J Psychiat 159: 1882-1888.
    [29] Kooij SJJ, Bejerot S, Blackwell A, et al. (2010) European consensus statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD: The European Network Adult ADHD.BMC Psychiatry, 10: 67.
  • Reader Comments
  • © 2014 the Author(s), licensee AIMS Press. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com
  • 1. 

    沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院 沈阳 110142

  1. 本站搜索
  2. 百度学术搜索
  3. 万方数据库搜索
  4. CNKI搜索

Metrics

Article views(4133) PDF downloads(1226) Cited by(9)

Article outline

Figures and Tables

Tables(2)

/

DownLoad:  Full-Size Img  PowerPoint
Return
Return

Catalog