Examining Gender Differences in Substance Use, Participant Characteristics, and Treatment Outcomes Among Individuals in Drug Court

Abstract

The study purpose was to examine gender differences in factors of potential importance (i.e., substance use, mental health, treatment motivation, criminal activity/thinking) which may help predict treatment outcome among a sample of individuals in drug court. Baseline data were collected via face-to-face interviews from a sample of individuals participating in drug court (N = 515). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed: age (p < .001), employment (p < .001), and number of months of lifetime incarceration (p < .001) were significant predictors of program completion. Based on study findings, gender may not be a critical factor on program completion in drug court. Rather, the multivariate analysis suggests several of these other characteristics are the critical factors in understanding completion of the drug court program.

KEYWORDS:

• criminal thinking
• drug court
• gender differences
• substance use
• treatment motivation
• treatment outcome

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank the Administrative Office of the Courts for the continuing commitment to evidence-based practice and evaluation research. Additionally, the authors would like to acknowledge the Christian, Daviess, Fayette, Floyd, Hardin, Hopkins, Knox, Laurel, and Perry judges, drug court teams, community mental health centers, and evaluation team members for continual support and dedication to the data collection process.