Substance use treatment completion and criminal justice system contact in Chile: A retrospective, linked data cohort study

• Published in: Addiction (Abingdon, England) England), 2024-08, Vol.119 (8), p.1440-1452
• Main Authors: Mateo Pinones, Mariel, González‐Santa Cruz, Andrés, Castillo‐Carniglia, Alvaro, Bond, Christine, Payne, Jason, McGee, Tara Renae
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clinical outcomes; Cocaine; Cohort analysis; Completion; Contact with the criminal justice system; Criminal justice system; Dropping out; Drug use; Global South; Health care; Imprisonment; Inpatient care; Males; Medical treatment; Offending; Patient admissions; Substance abuse; Substance use; substance use treatment completion; substance use treatment effectiveness; Survival analysis
• ISSN: 0965-2140; 1360-0443; 1360-0443
• DOI: 10.1111/add.16488

Background and aims Substance use treatment (SUT) has shown to be effective in reducing self‐reported offending; however, the association between SUT completion and criminal justice system (CJS) contact has been underexplored, especially in Latin America. This study aimed to estimate the association between SUT completion status and (1) any subsequent CJS contact and (2) CJS contact leading to imprisonment, at 1, 3 and 5 years post‐discharge, in Chile. Design Retrospective cohort study using multivariable survival analysis based on linked administrative data from 2010 to 2019. Setting This study took place in Chile, where SUT is available at no cost through Chile's publicly funded health‐care, and is provided in outpatient and inpatient modalities in public and private centres. Participants A total of 70 854 individuals received their first SUT from 2010 to 2019. They were mainly males (76.3%), and their main substance used at admission was cocaine paste (39.2%). Measurements SUT completion status included completion, late dropout (≥ 3 months) and early dropout (