Martha Tillson
Biographic Data
| ID | 2474588 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Martha Tillson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Martha |
| FAMILY NAME | Tillson |
| SIGNATURE | TILLSON M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Kentucky |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9269-0285 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 4 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 21 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Factors associated with tobacco product use patterns among criminal legal system impacted adults in Kentucky
The tobacco use landscape is rapidly shifting, with growing numbers of people using multiple forms of nicotine delivery (e.g., combustible, electronic nicotine delivery, smokeless). In general populations, multi-product use is associated with high-risk behaviors and poorer health outcomes. Individuals in the criminal legal system (CLS) are a high-risk and vulnerable population with high rates of tobacco use, but little is known about existing tob…
Mental Health, Interpersonal Trauma, and Violent Offending in a Sample of Justice-Involved Women With Opioid Use Histories
There is a known relationship between mental health, victimization, and perpetration of violence, yet few studies have investigated this relationship with substance-using women. The current study examined differences in psychological diagnoses, mental health symptoms, and interpersonal trauma between violent and nonviolent female offenders with opioid use histories. Findings revealed that lifetime mental health diagnoses and interpersonal trauma …
County health rankings, provider shortages, and the health of incarcerated women with opioid use disorder
PURPOSE: Incarcerated women in rural Kentucky face significant barriers to healthcare, including provider shortages, geographic isolation, and limited access to preventive services. This study examines how county health rankings and primary care provider (PCP) availability relate to women's self-reported health conditions and healthcare utilization prior to incarceration (PIT). METHODS: A total of 900 incarcerated women across nine Kentucky jails…
Overdose education and naloxone distribution among women with a history of OUD transitioning to the community following jail release
BACKGROUND: The criminal legal system (CLS) provides a critical intervention point for women at high risk for overdose, and the need continues to rise as the number of incarcerated women increases. Effective, targeted prevention interventions to reduce overdose risk for CLS-involved women are needed, such as naloxone distribution. This study describes the overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) procedures used in the Kentucky-hub of t…
Exploring the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and internalized substance use stigma
While adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health (MH) may significantly influence internalized substance use stigma (ISUS), these relationships remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by: (1) examining bivariate relationships between ACEs, MH, and ISUS, and (2) investigating the mediating role of MH-specifically anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-in this relationship. As part of the ongoing NIDA…
Correlates of recovery capital among women in jails
This sample of incarcerated women reported low recovery capital. However, findings highlight recovery capital as a multidimensional construct, related to factors across all four SAMSHA dimensions of recovery, especially 'community'. Interventions are needed to build recovery capital across each dimension, particularly leveraging social support, to promote sustained recovery among women who are incarcerated
Beyond weak ties in prison
Facebook as a Strategy To Deliver a Peer Navigation Intervention for Recently Incarcerated Women with Opioid Use Disorder
Overdose Experiences Among a Sample of Women in Jail with Opioid Use Disorder
Background: Previous non-fatal overdose may increase risk of overdose fatality for women reentering the community following incarceration, but pre-incarceration overdose experiences are understudied. This study describes the prevalence and correlates of non-fatal overdose prior to jail among women with opioid use disorder (OUD). Methods: Women (N = 700) were randomly selected from eight Kentucky jails, screened for OUD, and interviewed as part of…
The Association of Geographic Congruence With Postrelease Substance Use and Reincarceration
This research examined consistency in living in the same geographical area pre- and post-incarceration as a predictor of postrelease substance use and recidivism. Data from a 2018–2020 cohort of the Criminal Justice Kentucky Treatment Outcome Study ( n = 935) were analyzed. Rural–urban congruence compared the county an individual reported living in prior to incarceration to the county they reported living in at the time of their follow-up. Logist…
Protective Factors Associated With Lower Likelihood of Injection Drug Use and Experiencing Overdose Among Incarcerated Women
Beyond the 5-year recovery mark
Facilitating factors and barriers for use of medications to treat opioid use disorder (Moud) among justice‐involved individuals in rural Appalachia
The purpose of this qualitative study is to assess facilitating factors and barriers for medications to treat opioid use disorder (MOUD) initiation among justice‐involved individuals in one rural Appalachian community, as well as how those factors may differ across the three types of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medications. Qualitative interviews were conducted with rural justice‐involved individuals ( N = 10) with a history of op…
The Prescription-to-Prison Pipeline
Transactional sex among rural, justice‐involved Appalachian women who use drugs
PURPOSE: Transactional sex is associated with an array of other health risk behaviors and adverse health outcomes, including HIV. However, despite concerns regarding a potential HIV outbreak, there is limited understanding of transactional sex among rural Appalachians who engage in high-risk behaviors. Thus, the current study describes the prevalence and correlates of transactional sex among a sample of rural, justice-involved Appalachian women w…
Scales for participant Alliance with Recovery Coach (SPARC)
Recovery coaches are individuals with lived experience with recovery from substance use disorder who typically engender a greater sense of trust than found with other types of healthcare providers. However, there currently are no validated tools that measure the connection between recovery coaches and their participants. The purpose of this study was to describe the initial development of the Scales for Participant Alliance with Recovery Coach (S…
Community Relationship Quality and Reincarceration Following Rural Drug-Using Women’s Reentry From Jail
Interpersonal relationships and social support are important factors in women’s successful reentry from incarceration, but limited research has explored the role of women’s relationships to their communities during the reentry process. In the current study, women were recruited from three rural Appalachian jails, screened for high-risk behaviors (including drug use and unprotected sex), and interviewed at 12 months postrelease ( N = 339). Intervi…
Staying Out
The current study examines protective factors for women who transition from county jails to rural Appalachian communities, areas with limited health and behavioral health services. The study included drug-using women recruited from three jails in rural Appalachia and were followed 12-months post-release. Analyses focused on differences between women who remained in the community and those who returned to custody, as well as a multivariate model t…
Correlates of Injection Drug Use Among Rural Appalachian Women
BACKGROUND: Limited research has focused on correlates of injection drug use (IDU) among high-risk subgroups of drug users, particularly women, who may be at increased risk for transmission of infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C. The purpose of this study is to better understand the contextual and health correlates of IDU among women living in rural Appalachia by examining (1) differences between injectors and noninjectors, and (2) th…
Age of First Arrest, Sex, and Drug Use as Correlates of Adult Risk Behaviors Among Rural Women in Jails
Incarcerated women frequently report initiation of substance use and sexual encounters at an early age, and often engage in high-risk drug use and sexual behaviors as adults. This study examined the timing of first sex, drug use, and arrest, as well as their unique influences on specific risky behaviors in adulthood, among a high-risk population of rural women recruited from jails. Ages of initiation were all positively and significantly correlat…
Partner Relationships and Injection Sharing Practices among Rural Appalachian Women
Facilitating factors and barriers for use of medications to treat opioid use disorder (Moud) among justice‐involved individuals in rural Appalachia
The purpose of this qualitative study is to assess facilitating factors and barriers for medications to treat opioid use disorder (MOUD) initiation among justice‐involved individuals in one rural Appalachian community, as well as how those factors may differ across the three types of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medications. Qualitative interviews were conducted with rural justice‐involved individuals ( N = 10) with a history of op…
The Prescription-to-Prison Pipeline
Age of First Arrest, Sex, and Drug Use as Correlates of Adult Risk Behaviors Among Rural Women in Jails
Incarcerated women frequently report initiation of substance use and sexual encounters at an early age, and often engage in high-risk drug use and sexual behaviors as adults. This study examined the timing of first sex, drug use, and arrest, as well as their unique influences on specific risky behaviors in adulthood, among a high-risk population of rural women recruited from jails. Ages of initiation were all positively and significantly correlat…
Partner Relationships and Injection Sharing Practices among Rural Appalachian Women
Correlates of Injection Drug Use Among Rural Appalachian Women
BACKGROUND: Limited research has focused on correlates of injection drug use (IDU) among high-risk subgroups of drug users, particularly women, who may be at increased risk for transmission of infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C. The purpose of this study is to better understand the contextual and health correlates of IDU among women living in rural Appalachia by examining (1) differences between injectors and noninjectors, and (2) th…
Staying Out
The current study examines protective factors for women who transition from county jails to rural Appalachian communities, areas with limited health and behavioral health services. The study included drug-using women recruited from three jails in rural Appalachia and were followed 12-months post-release. Analyses focused on differences between women who remained in the community and those who returned to custody, as well as a multivariate model t…
Community Relationship Quality and Reincarceration Following Rural Drug-Using Women’s Reentry From Jail
Interpersonal relationships and social support are important factors in women’s successful reentry from incarceration, but limited research has explored the role of women’s relationships to their communities during the reentry process. In the current study, women were recruited from three rural Appalachian jails, screened for high-risk behaviors (including drug use and unprotected sex), and interviewed at 12 months postrelease ( N = 339). Intervi…
Transactional sex among rural, justice‐involved Appalachian women who use drugs
PURPOSE: Transactional sex is associated with an array of other health risk behaviors and adverse health outcomes, including HIV. However, despite concerns regarding a potential HIV outbreak, there is limited understanding of transactional sex among rural Appalachians who engage in high-risk behaviors. Thus, the current study describes the prevalence and correlates of transactional sex among a sample of rural, justice-involved Appalachian women w…
Scales for participant Alliance with Recovery Coach (SPARC)
Recovery coaches are individuals with lived experience with recovery from substance use disorder who typically engender a greater sense of trust than found with other types of healthcare providers. However, there currently are no validated tools that measure the connection between recovery coaches and their participants. The purpose of this study was to describe the initial development of the Scales for Participant Alliance with Recovery Coach (S…
Overdose Experiences Among a Sample of Women in Jail with Opioid Use Disorder
Background: Previous non-fatal overdose may increase risk of overdose fatality for women reentering the community following incarceration, but pre-incarceration overdose experiences are understudied. This study describes the prevalence and correlates of non-fatal overdose prior to jail among women with opioid use disorder (OUD). Methods: Women (N = 700) were randomly selected from eight Kentucky jails, screened for OUD, and interviewed as part of…
The Association of Geographic Congruence With Postrelease Substance Use and Reincarceration
This research examined consistency in living in the same geographical area pre- and post-incarceration as a predictor of postrelease substance use and recidivism. Data from a 2018–2020 cohort of the Criminal Justice Kentucky Treatment Outcome Study ( n = 935) were analyzed. Rural–urban congruence compared the county an individual reported living in prior to incarceration to the county they reported living in at the time of their follow-up. Logist…
Protective Factors Associated With Lower Likelihood of Injection Drug Use and Experiencing Overdose Among Incarcerated Women
Beyond the 5-year recovery mark
Facilitating factors and barriers for use of medications to treat opioid use disorder (Moud) among justice‐involved individuals in rural Appalachia
The purpose of this qualitative study is to assess facilitating factors and barriers for medications to treat opioid use disorder (MOUD) initiation among justice‐involved individuals in one rural Appalachian community, as well as how those factors may differ across the three types of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medications. Qualitative interviews were conducted with rural justice‐involved individuals ( N = 10) with a history of op…
The Prescription-to-Prison Pipeline
Overdose education and naloxone distribution among women with a history of OUD transitioning to the community following jail release
BACKGROUND: The criminal legal system (CLS) provides a critical intervention point for women at high risk for overdose, and the need continues to rise as the number of incarcerated women increases. Effective, targeted prevention interventions to reduce overdose risk for CLS-involved women are needed, such as naloxone distribution. This study describes the overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) procedures used in the Kentucky-hub of t…
Exploring the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and internalized substance use stigma
While adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health (MH) may significantly influence internalized substance use stigma (ISUS), these relationships remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by: (1) examining bivariate relationships between ACEs, MH, and ISUS, and (2) investigating the mediating role of MH-specifically anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-in this relationship. As part of the ongoing NIDA…
Correlates of recovery capital among women in jails
This sample of incarcerated women reported low recovery capital. However, findings highlight recovery capital as a multidimensional construct, related to factors across all four SAMSHA dimensions of recovery, especially 'community'. Interventions are needed to build recovery capital across each dimension, particularly leveraging social support, to promote sustained recovery among women who are incarcerated
Beyond weak ties in prison
Facebook as a Strategy To Deliver a Peer Navigation Intervention for Recently Incarcerated Women with Opioid Use Disorder
Factors associated with tobacco product use patterns among criminal legal system impacted adults in Kentucky
The tobacco use landscape is rapidly shifting, with growing numbers of people using multiple forms of nicotine delivery (e.g., combustible, electronic nicotine delivery, smokeless). In general populations, multi-product use is associated with high-risk behaviors and poorer health outcomes. Individuals in the criminal legal system (CLS) are a high-risk and vulnerable population with high rates of tobacco use, but little is known about existing tob…
Mental Health, Interpersonal Trauma, and Violent Offending in a Sample of Justice-Involved Women With Opioid Use Histories
There is a known relationship between mental health, victimization, and perpetration of violence, yet few studies have investigated this relationship with substance-using women. The current study examined differences in psychological diagnoses, mental health symptoms, and interpersonal trauma between violent and nonviolent female offenders with opioid use histories. Findings revealed that lifetime mental health diagnoses and interpersonal trauma …
County health rankings, provider shortages, and the health of incarcerated women with opioid use disorder
PURPOSE: Incarcerated women in rural Kentucky face significant barriers to healthcare, including provider shortages, geographic isolation, and limited access to preventive services. This study examines how county health rankings and primary care provider (PCP) availability relate to women's self-reported health conditions and healthcare utilization prior to incarceration (PIT). METHODS: A total of 900 incarcerated women across nine Kentucky jails…
Medicine (15 works) · Psychology (13 works) · Psychiatry (11 works) · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk (7 works) · Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (7 works) · Child Abuse and Trauma (6 works) · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis (6 works) · Demography (6 works) · Environmental health (6 works) · Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects (6 works)