Substance Abuse Treatment Outcomes for Adolescents With Violent Behaviors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether substance-abusing adolescents with co-occurring violent behaviors showed reduction in these behaviors after exposure to outpatient drug treatment. Using a longitudinal research design, adolescents were classified based on 3 levels of the violence reported at intake and were assessed at 3 and 6 months following intake. The high-violence group showed significant reductions in the frequency of substance use, substance-related problems, and violence over time. The study shows that participation in outpatient substance abuse treatment may be associated with improved outcomes for adolescents with co-occurring substance abuse and violent behaviors.

KEYWORDS:

• adolescents
• outpatient
• substance abuse
• treatment outcomes
• violence

This research was supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA: CSAT TI13354).