Joke De Wilde

Problem Severity Profiles of Clients in European Therapeutic Communities: Gender Differences in Various Areas of Functioning

The BIOMED II ‘Improving Psychiatric Treatment in Residential Programmes for Emerging Dependency Groups’ project provided a relatively large sample (n = 863) of men (77%) and women (23%) in therapeutic community treatment in nine European countries. This paper’s aim is to search for gender differences in profiles of therapeutic community clients on the basis of the different areas of functioning of the EuropASI. A binary logistic regression model was used to avoid the confounding effects of country and age. Our findings confirm what is found in the American literature: compared to men, women have a much worse profile in various areas of functioning when entering treatment. In response, they may require a gender-adapted set of therapeutic interventions at the moment they enter treatment.

The Role of Gender Differences and Other Client Characteristics in the Prevalence of DSM-IV Affective Disorders Among a European Therapeutic Community Population

There is a lack of research illustrating the extent of psychiatric problems in European TCs. Furthermore, there is a need to obtain more insight into gender differences concerning comorbidity in the TC population. In an attempt to respond to previous shortcomings, three specific goals were formulated for the current study. The primary aim was to explore the lifetime prevalence of affective disorders in European TC clients. The second aim was to focus on related gender differences. And finally, client characteristics measured by the EuropASI were related to mood and anxiety disorders measured by the SCID-I. Nine out of ten substance abusers treated in a European TC program have an affective disorder. Gender differences are noted for two anxiety disorders: men have more obsessive-compulsive disorders; women have more post-traumatic stress disorders. The study illustrates that not only gender but also other client characteristics should be taken into account when organizing treatment.

Screening en assessment van psychiatrische stoornissen in Belgische gevangenissen

SamenvattingInternationaal onderzoek wijst op een hoge prevalentie van psychiatrische stoornissen bij gedetineerden. Het ontbreekt echter veelal aan systematische en accurate procedures om deze stoornissen te diagnosticeren. In dit artikel bespreken we de ontwikkeling van een aangepast protocol voor screening en assessment van psychiatrische stoornissen en drugsgerelateerde stoornissen bij nieuw-aangemelde gedetineerden in Belgische gevangenissen. De sensitiviteit en specificiteit van de screeningsinstrumenten BJMHS en SSI-SA in dit protocol werd uitgetest in een kleinschalige pilotstudie (N = 91). Er kon een vrij goede sensitiviteit aangetoond worden voor zowel SSI-SA als BJMHS. De specificiteit van beide instrumenten is evenwel matig. Aanvullend onderzoek bij een grotere steekproef die uitsluitend bestaat uit nieuw-aangemelde gedetineerden en geïnterneerden is noodzakelijk.