Recognition and Management of Depression in a Substance Use Disorder Treatment Population

Abstract

This study examines the association between depressive symptomatology and return to substance use among a sample of 126 veterans consecutively admitted to treatment at a VA intensive outpatient program for substance use disorders. Controlling for numerous demographic and health-related covariates, depressive symptomatology measured at treatment exit with a Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was significantly predictive of substance use at three-months post-treatment (p < .05). Analysis with a recoded BDI showed that the moderately-to-severely symptomatic (BDI = 20+) were 4.1 times more likely to have returned to substance use than those with a BDI score of under 20.

Keywords:

• Depression
• substance use disorders
• treatment outcome