Predictors of treatment outcomes for substance‐abusing women: A retrospective study

This study examined whether client characteristics at admission predict Retention, Abstinence, and utilization of Required Services and Specialized Services for pregnant women in outpatient and residential substance abuse treatment. Retrospective data were collected with the Psychosocial History (PSH), a structured clinical interview that is an expansion of the Addiction Severity Index, designed specifically to assess substance abusing women. The PSH was administered at intake for 183 pregnant women admitted to outpatient (n = 133) or residential (n = 50) treatment. Factor analysis reduced predictors to five factors with composite scores, and multiple regression procedures determined client characteristics that predict treatment outcomes. The findings suggest the complexity of predicting treatment outcomes for pregnant women. Significant predictors were composites of variables that encompassed all aspects of women's personal and family lives including medical and psychiatric needs, family and parenting issues, housing, victimization, and clients’ perceived needs for treatment and assistance in all of these areas. The results suggest the need for a holistic approach to substance abuse treatment and continued exploration of a broad range of psychosocial assessments at intake in order to develop substance abuse treatment programs that effectively address multiple aspects of women's lives.

Key words:

• women
• psychosocial issues
• retention
• treatment outcomes

Notes

Child and Family Studies Research Program, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Professions, Thomas Jefferson University, Edison Building, Suite 220 OT, 130 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107–5233. e‐mail: [email protected].

Maternal Addiction Treatment Education and Research, Department of Pediatrics, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107.

To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marilee Comfort

1 3