Gender Differences in Treatment Outcomes Among Participants in a Mixed-Gender Substance Abuse Aftercare Program

Abstract

This study examined gender and gender-related predictors in multiple outcomes of substance abuse aftercare treatment among 78 females and 141 males enrolled in a mixed-gender aftercare program in Massachusetts from 1994 to 1996. Female participants entered the program with higher needs than their male counterparts, showing a worse condition in almost all baseline characteristics, of which many are statistically significant. The generalized estimating equations (GEE) model revealed significant gender differences in the two treatment outcomes of employment income and illegal activity days. Also, many significant gender-related predictors and interaction variables were found.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender differences
• substance abuse
• treatment outcomes
• mixed-gender aftercare program

Notes

This study was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse R01 DA 08739 (Principal Investigator: Donald S. Shepard). The author gratefully acknowledges the valuable comments of Donald S. Shepard, PhD, James R. McKay, PhD, Helen J. Levine, PhD, and Marilyn Daley, PhD.

*p < 0.05

**p < 0.01

***p < 0.001

****p < 0.0001.

*p < 0.05

****p < 0.0001.