Substance Use, Mental Disorders, Abuse, and Crime: Gender Comparisons Among a National Sample of Adolescent Drug Treatment Clients

ABSTRACT

This paper describes important gender comparisons in drug and alcohol use, illegal activity, physical and sexual abuse, and mental health problems among a large sample of adolescents (N = 3,382) who were treated from 1993 to 1995 in adolescent-oriented drug programs that participated in the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study of Adolescents. Most of the adolescents reported regular use of marijuana and alcohol; males had higher rates of illegal activity and involvement with the juvenile justice system; females reported more sexual abuse, while males reported more physical abuse; and males and females had equal rates of conduct disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescent Substance Abuse
• Gender Comparisons
• Comorbidity
• Physical and Sexual Abuse Among Adolescents
• Adolescent Illegal Activity