NCJ Number
214053
Journal
Journal of Addictive Diseases Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: 2006 Pages: 87-94
Date Published
2006
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A cohort of youth who received publicly funded treatment for substance abuse in Washington State were monitored for 18 months following initial exposure to treatment to measure any treatment readmissions and criminal convictions; comparisons on these measures distinguished between those who had completed the initial treatment regimen and those who had not.
Abstract
Less than 5 percent of the study population was readmitted to an inpatient setting for additional treatment, and just over 11 percent were readmitted to outpatient treatment during the followup; 86 percent had no readmissions to treatment. Compared to those who did not complete treatment, those who completed the initial treatment had a reduced risk (by 15 percent) for readmission to treatment, a 29-percent reduction in the risk of a felony conviction, and a 17-percent reduction in the risk of having a conviction for any type of offense. The link between treatment measures and outcomes did not vary with age, gender, race, or drug use. The study population consisted of all youth between and including the ages of 14 and 17 who began and ended a publicly funded treatment program in Washington State in 1997 or 1998 (n=5,903). Data were obtained from records of assessment, treatment, and detoxification services, as well as discharge records for all clients. Criminal history data were obtained from court records, which contained the dates and charges for each case, along with the type of crime (felony or misdemeanor). 4 tables and 30 references