Comorbidities and Race/Ethnicity Among Adults with Stimulant Use Disorders in Residential Treatment

Abstract

Comorbid physical and mental health problems are associated with poorer substance abuse treatment outcomes; however, little is known about these conditions among stimulant abusers at treatment entry. This study compared racial and ethnic groups on baseline measures of drug use patterns, comorbid physical and mental health disorders, quality of life, and daily functioning among cocaine and stimulant abusing/dependent patients. Baseline data from a multi-site randomized clinical trial of vigorous exercise as a treatment strategy for a diverse population of stimulant abusers (N = 290) were analyzed. Significant differences between groups were found on drug use characteristics, stimulant use disorders, and comorbid mental and physical health conditions. Findings highlight the importance of integrating health and mental health services into substance abuse treatment and could help identify potential areas for intervention to improve treatment outcomes for racial and ethnic minority groups.

KEYWORDS:

• stimulant abuse/dependence
• comorbidities
• racial and ethnic minorities
• integration of physical and mental health

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U10DA020024 (PI: Trivedi). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.