@article{ref1,
title="Incidence and predictors of non-fatal drug overdose after release from prison among people who inject drugs in Queensland, Australia",
journal="Drug and alcohol dependence",
year="2015",
author="Winter, R. J. and Stoové, M. and Degenhardt, L. and Hellard, M. E. and Spelman, T. and Jenkinson, R. and McCarthy, D. R. and Kinner, S. A.",
volume="153",
number="",
pages="43-49",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: Release from prison is a period of elevated risk for drug-related harms, particularly among people who inject drugs (PWID). Non-fatal overdose can cause serious morbidity and predicts future fatal overdose, however neither the incidence nor the risk factors for non-fatal overdose following release from prison are well understood. <br><br>METHODS: Structured health-related interviews were conducted with 1051 adult prisoners in Queensland, Australia prior to release and approximately 1, 3 and 6 months post-release. Incidence of self-reported overdose in the community was calculated for PWID and all prisoners for three discrete time periods. Negative binomial regression with robust error variance was used to identify pre-release predictors of overdose among PWID. <br><br>RESULTS: The incidence of reported overdose was highest between 1 and 3 months post-release (37.8 per 100 person-years (PY) among PWID; 24.5/100 PY among all ex-prisoners). In adjusted analyses, the risk of post-release non-fatal overdose was higher for PWID who reported: being unemployed for >6 months before prison, having been removed from family as a child, at least weekly use of benzodiazepines and/or pharmaceutical opiates in the 3 months prior to prison, and ever receiving opioid substitution therapy (OST). Pre-release psychological distress and a lifetime history of mental disorder also predicted overdose, whereas risky alcohol use in the year before prison was protective. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: PWID have a high risk of overdose following release from prison. Imprisonment is an opportunity to initiate targeted preventive interventions such as OST, overdose prevention training and peer-delivered naloxone for those with a high risk profile.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0376-8716",
doi="10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.06.011",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.06.011"
}