Study finds that alcohol is not the only problem for repeat DUI offenders.
The study found almost 60 percent of those with two or more DUI convictions reported experiencing major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder over their lifetime.
“People who deal with drug and alcohol abusers need to understand there are often other disorders that need to be dealt with as well,” said Sandra Lapham, M.D., M.P.H., principal investigator of the study. “That’s why we need to screen repeat offenders for multiple disorders. The offender should be viewed as a unique person with a unique set of issues. If they include psychiatric problems, these should be treated along with drug and alcohol issues.”
This study should serve as a guide for courts dealing with repeat DUI offenders. Sending these folks to jail with hopes that it will fix the problems they are experiencing is not effective. Instead, the court should try to fashion a sentence that will treat the underlying issues that the person is dealing with. An alcohol and drug evaluation may not be enough and the court should consider ordering a more comprehensive psych evaluation prior to imposing the sentence.
The study published in the September edition of Journal of Studies on Alcohol was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The study was conducted by PIRE, or Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. PIRE is a national nonprofit public health research institute, funded mostly by federal science grants and contracts.
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