Citation

Ireland JL, Higgins P. Int. J. Law Psychiatry 2013; 36(3-4): 229-234.

Affiliation

Ashworth Research Centre (ARC), Mersey Care NHS Trust and University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, UK. Electronic address: JLIreland1@uclan.ac.uk.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijlp.2013.04.006

PMID

23623718

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sensation-seeking among prisoners with substance dependence difficulties (drug and/or alcohol) was examined. This topic is under-researched in a prisoner sample. AIMS: The aims are to examine the association between sensation-seeking, other personality variables, and substance dependency among prisoners, and to examine if sensation-seeking can be refined. METHODS: Adult male prisoners (n=200) completed self-report measures examining the constructs of interest. RESULTS: Sensation-seeking comprised extraversion and openness to experience. It was more appropriately described as Behavioural-Stimulation-and-Sensation-Seeking (BStim-SS). BStim-SS is related to drug and poly-substance dependency but not alcohol-only dependency. Increased impulsivity was related to all substance use dependencies. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTISE: BStim-SS presents as a valuable concept to apply to forensic populations. It captures the need for behavioural and emotional stimulation and lends support to Reward Discounting theory as valuable concept to apply across substance dependency.

Language: en