Do migrants better in reintegration? A multicenter follow-up study on re-delinquency, addiction-related behavior and resocialization after German Forensic Addiction Treatment.

Abstract

In Germany, Forensic Addiction Treatment serves the purpose of reintegration into society. Patients with a migration background are over-represented, show slightly higher rates of premature termination and exhibit less successful outcomes. However, outcome research was often limited by conceptual ambiguities and insufficient control for confounding variables. In the present article, we defined reintegration as a comprehensive concept comprising three domains (re-delinquency, addiction-related behavior, resocialization). In a multicenter approach, 466 migrant patients were compared on 35 catamnestic variables to a group of non-migrants matched on the variables sex, main offense, main diagnostic group and age at discharge. For to seek evidence for and against interrelation, we applied both inferential and Bayesian statistics. Both groups show almost the same substance use behaviors and identical re-delinquency rates, with some tendency toward more serious re-offenses among non-migrants. The migrant-group combines more favorable patterns on relevant indicators of resocialization. However, while treatment is proving equally successful in terms of its core purpose of reintegration, it does not succeed in overcoming systemic barriers to accessing the general health care system, as migrants show more reluctant help-seeking behaviors. This, in turn, could increase the risk of long-term re-delinquency due to a lack of adequate post-forensic support. Hence, barriers should be reduced and treatment offers should be adapted to migrants' needs.