The Parma integrated model for intervention on pathological addictions in an Italian prison: process description and preliminary findings.

BACKGROUND: Interventions for inmates with Pathological Addiction (PA) still remain a problematic issue in Italian prisons, despite a 1999 major government reform transferring PA care in prison to the National Health Service. Aim of this research was to describe the integrated intervention model implemented for prisoners with PA in the Parma Penitentiary Institutes from January 2020 to June 2020. This specific approach is based on “person-tailored” therapeutic-rehabilitation programs in line with local community PA services. METHODS: All the procedures were first carefully illustrated, especially the service for newly admitted inmates and the specialized rehabilitation treatments provided. A process analysis on the first six months of clinical activity was then performed. RESULTS: Since January 2020, 178 subjects entered the service for newly admitted inmates: 55 (30.9%) were taken in charge for a PA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the feasibility of an integrated intervention model for PA in Italian prisons, based on specialized psychiatric treatments planned and provided in collaboration with inmates and their community health and social services. (www.actabiomedica.it)