The effect of probation period on impulsivity and aggression behaviors of individuals with substance use disorder

The Effect of Probation Period on Impulsivity and Aggression Behaviors of Individuals with Substance Use Disorder Substance use is an increasingly important problem in the world. Probation, which is accepted as a modern criminal justice method, is one of the methods adopted by the countries to fight against this problem. Impulsivity and aggression are important personality traits associated with substance use. In this thesis study, to investigate the effect of the probation process on the impulsivity and aggression levels of drug users is aimed. 272 convicted people between the ages 18-65, who were given a treatment and probation decision within the scope of Article 191 of Turkish Penal Code because of substance use, and who applied to Adana Probation Directorate between July and December 2018 after their treatment at AMATEM, participated in this study. Firstly, sociodemographic data form, Addiction Profile Index-Clinical Form (API-C) , Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BDÖ-11) and Buss-Perry Aggression Scale (BPSÖ) were applied to the participants. At the end of the probation period, BDÖ-11 and BPSÖ were applied to the same people again and 175 people were reached. An increased was detected between the first and the second measurement in the attention impulsivity subscale was detected the scores obtained from the repeated BDÖ-11. In the scores acquired from the BPSÖ, a decrease was detected in the physical aggression subscale scores between the first and the second measurements. It was found that BAPİ-K, BDÖ-11 and BPSÖ were correlated with each other. It was determined there was a relationship between the criminal history and the API-C scores of the participants. Those who committed to another crime under the influence of substances and who stated that they had been tried for any crime before got higher scores on BDI-11 and BPSÖ. It is thought that impulsivity, aggression, drug use and crime are related to each other. According to the results obtained from our study, it is thought that practices of probation may be effective in reducing physical aggression. However, in order to support this result, there is a need for follow-up studies with more people, including the treatment processes of the Alcohol and Substance Addiction Research, Treatment and Training Center (AMATEM). It is believed that attempts for reducing the level of impulsivity and aggression can be effective in decreasing the rates of substance use and delinquency. Keywords: Probation, Impulsivity, Drug Use, Aggression, Crime