Male and Female Drug Abusers: Social and Psychological Status 2 Years after Treatment in a Therapeutic Community

Abstract

A sample of male (N = 214) and female (N = 74) dropouts and graduates from the 1974 population in Phoenix House were followed 2 years after treatment. The sample was mainly opioid abusers, Black, and 19-26 years of age. A 4-h face-to-face interview traced social adjustment from 1 year pre- through all years posttreatment. Clients were retested with a psychological battery initially given at admission or during treatment. Results showed that success (no crime and no opioid use and/or no use of a nonopioid primary drug) was maintained throughout 2 years of follow-up by 38% of the males (dropouts 32.9%, graduates, 73.9%) and 42% of the females (dropouts 40.7%, graduates 50.0%); improvement (change from pretreatment status) occurred in over 59% of the males and 60% of the females; success and improvement increased by time in program for both sexes; psychological improvement during treatment and at follow-up was correlated with posttreatment success status: Among successes, the female improvement was significantly larger. The psychological improvement for women appears related to social-role factors that are modified during residency in the therapeutic community.