Behavioural Stimulation and Sensation-Seeking among prisoners: Applications to substance dependency

BackgroundSensation-seeking among prisoners with substance dependence difficulties (drug and/or alcohol) was examined. This topic is under-researched in a prisoner sample.AimsThe 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.MethodsAdult male prisoners (n = 200) completed self-report measures examining the constructs of interest.ResultsSensation-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 practiseBStim-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. Implications for practise include:
• A need to identify a broader concept of sensation-seeking for prisoner samples;
• The recognition of differences within substance dependent samples, with impulsivity presenting differently across drug and/or alcohol dependent groups;
• Recognition that concepts regularly applied to community samples need to be examined more specifically among forensic samples to ascertain validity.