Social Disadvantage and Economic Hardship as Predictors of Follow-Up Addiction Severity after Substance Abuse Treatment: Does Referral to Treatment by the Criminal Justice System Matter?

Abstract

Few studies have examined the effects of social disadvantage and economic hardship on addiction severity after treatment, and no known studies have examined these relationships in participants referred to treatment by the criminal justice system. This study used multiple regression analysis to examine the role of social disadvantage, economic hardship, and perceived stress on follow-up addiction severity among a group of substance abuse treatment participants referred by the criminal justice system and a comparison group. The hypothesized model was partially supported in both groups. Implications for treatment providers working with clients referred by the criminal justice system are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Addiction severity
• criminal justice
• economic hardship
• mandated treatment
• social disadvantage

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author would like to gratefully acknowledge the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities and the University of Kentucky Center on Drug and Alcohol Research for granting permission to use these data.