Correlates of Treatment Readiness among Formerly Incarcerated Homeless Women.

Treatment readiness is a key predictor of drug treatment completion, rearrest, and recidivism during community reentry; however, limited data exists among homeless, female ex-offenders (HFOs). The purpose of this study was to present baseline data from a randomized controlled trial of 130 HFOs who had been released from jail or prison. Over half (60.8%) of HFOs had a treatment readiness score of ≥ 40 (n = 79, µ = 40.2, SD = 8.72). Bivariate analyses revealed that methamphetamine use, psychological well-being, and high emotional support were positively associated with treatment readiness. On the other hand, depressive symptomology and depression/anxiety scores were negatively associated with the treatment readiness score. Multiple linear regression revealed that depressive symptomology was negatively associated with treatment readiness (ß = -0.377; p = .001). Further analyses revealed that the effect of emotional support on treatment readiness was mediated by depressive symptomatology.

Violent Crime in the Lives of Homeless Female Ex-Offenders.

The cyclical pattern of violence in the lives of homeless female ex-offenders may precipitate ongoing substance use and recidivism; all of which have shown to be mounting public health issues affecting successful reentry. This paper, which analyzed baseline data from a longitudinal study of 126 female ex-offenders in Los Angeles and Pomona, California, highlighted the factors found to be associated with violent crime among homeless female ex-offenders. A multiple logistic regression model for whether or not the last conviction was for a violent offense indicated that poor housing (p = .011) and self-reported anger or hostility (p < .001) were significant correlates. An ordinal regression model for the number of violent offenses also indicated that affectionate support was associated with committing fewer number of violent crimes (p = .001), while positive social interactions (p = .007), and anger/hostility (p = .015) were associated with greater number of violent crimes. Implications for developing a comprehensive array of strategies that can mitigate the pattern of violence often seen in the lives of homeless female who have recently exited jails and prisons is discussed.

Quality of Life Among Women Living With HIV in Rural India.

A cross-sectional examination was conducted on quality of life (QOL) among women living with HIV (WLWH) in rural Andhra Pradesh, India. Baseline data were collected from 400 WLWH and their children. QOL was measured with 10 items from the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire. Findings revealed low QOL scores; on a scale from 0 to 3, the mean QOL score was 0.38 (SD = 0.30). Depression symptoms were reported by 25.5%, internalized stigma was high, and most reported little to no social support. Multivariable analysis revealed positive associations between QOL and CD4+ T cells (b = .0011, p = .021) and social support (b = .260, p < .0001), and a negative relationship between QOL and internalized stigma (b = -.232, p < .0001). Interventions focused on improving QOL for WLWH should incorporate strategies to improve social support and adherence to antiretroviral therapy, while mitigating internalized stigma.