NCJ Number
227118
Journal
Residential Treatment for Children & Youth Volume: 26 Issue: 1 Dated: January-March 2009 Pages: 42-57
Date Published
March 2009
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examined the probability of substance use/dependency in adolescent girls in community-based group living programs.
Abstract
Highlights of study findings include: (1) 35 percent of the girls were found to meet the diagnostic criterion for having a substance use/dependency disorder using the standardized SASSI-2 scale; (2) most of the girls in the maternity and mother-child programs did not meet the criteria for substance use/dependency disorders; and (3) many of the girls, regardless of meeting the criteria, reported that the environment in which they lived was not sufficiently reflective of a substance and alcohol clean environment. A gap was found in the knowledge involving research on girls in group-care generally, and community-based group living programs in particular. This study of 53 girls residing in community-based group-living child welfare programs was undertaken to address 3 significant gaps in the current knowledge base regarding substance use among adolescents in out-of-home placement. First, the study focused only on youth in community-based group living programs. Second, the study utilized a standardized reliable and valid measurement of substance use in order to determine prevalence with a higher degree of accuracy. Third, the study focused exclusively on girls in order to develop a knowledge base about substance use in this subpopulation of youth. Table and references