Examining Trauma and Readiness to Change among Women in a Community Re-Entry Program

ABSTRACTBackground: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and co-occurring substance use disorders (SUDs) are common among women who are incarcerated. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between trauma and readiness to change substance use behaviors. Methods: This study used data from 103 participants enrolled in a residential re-entry program for women with SUDs and trauma history. Women reporting clinically elevated Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI) subscale scores were compared to those without elevated scores on the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) readiness to change instrument. Primary analyses included t-tests and ANCOVA to control for age and ethnicity. Results: In general, women with clinically elevated trauma scores also reported greater readiness to change. The analyses revealed significant differences on the URICA Readiness to Change scores between women who had elevated Defensive Avoidance and Impaired Self-Reference according to the TSI. Resul...