NCJ Number
211709
Date Published
2005
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the impact of psychiatric, family, and ethnicity-related characteristics on substance abuse treatment utilization among Hispanic substance abusing adolescents.
Abstract
Previous research has indicated that only a small proportion of adolescents in need of substance abuse treatment actually receive treatment. This underutilization of treatment services is particularly severe among Hispanic populations. The current study assessed the importance of various psychiatric, family, and ethnicity-related variables for the utilization of substance abuse treatment among 110 substance abusing Hispanic adolescents, aged 14 to 17 years, and their parents. Participants were recruited from an addiction recovery facility; both parents and adolescents completed a battery of assessment instruments measuring substance use, parenting practices, stress, attachment, psychiatric comorbidity, acculturation, demographic information, and the utilization of treatment services following discharge. Results of statistical analyses indicated that externalizing disorders among adolescents and parenting practices influenced the utilization of substance abuse treatment services. Higher parental years in the United States and better parenting practices predicted greater utilization of outpatient services while lower parenting stress predicted greater utilization of residential services. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed. Future research should focus on additional predictors of treatment utilization among Hispanic populations, such as readiness for therapy. Table, figures, references