 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Lena M. Lundgren, PhD, Deborah Chassler, MSW, and Maryann Amodeo, PhD. School of Social Work, Boston University, 264 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215, 617-353-1634, llundgre@bu.edu
The presentation describes whether female injection drug users (IDUs) who have a history of using mental health services (i.e., one or more psychiatric hospitalizations or counseling), enter different types of drug treatment than female IDUs who do not have a history of using mental health services. Data used for this exploration originate from a statewide database covering all women who entered drug treatment in Massachusetts, 1996 to 2001. The study includes 7,776 women. Through the use of logistic regression analysis, the study identified that female IDUs who had a mental health service history, compared with female IDUs who had no such history, were significantly more likely to enter additional substance abuse treatment other than detoxification only. Specifically, women with a mental health service history were 66% more likely to enter substance abuse treatment modalities such as drug-free outpatient counseling, methadone maintenance, and/or long-term residential services rather than detoxification alone. This positive result indicates that female IDUs who have mental health problems and therefore have high needs for effective substance abuse treatment are entering more effective treatment.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Drug Abuse Treatment, Women's Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.