Characteristics and Pretreatment Behaviors of Clients Entering Drug Abuse Treatment: 1969 to 1993

Abstract

This study summarizes historical changes among clients entering drug treatment in their sociodemographic characteristics and important pretreatment behaviors, such as work activity, criminal behavior, drug use, prior drug treatment, and health insurance. Data are drawn from three major studies of drug abuse treatment clients: the Drug Abuse Reporting Program (DARP), 1969–1972; the Treatment Outcome Prospective Study (TOPS), 1979–1981; and the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (DATOS), 1991–1993. The mix of drug treatment clients and their interaction with the drug treatment system changed substantially over the past three decades. Because data items are most directly comparable between TOPS and DATOS, the focus of this paper is on changes within the past decade. The most conspicuous change is in types and numbers of drugs used by clients entering treatment. Multiple drug use declined since the late 1970s, while reports of cocaine use since TOPS more than doubled among clients in the long-term residential and outpatient treatment modalities, and increased 1 1/2 times among methadone clients. Other differences in treatment populations include decreases in clients' working full-time and in reports of suicidal ideation and attempts and predatory crime. Data from such studies as DARP, TOPS, and DATOS are valuable in historical, contextual, policy, and evaluative frameworks. The changing nature of the drug treatment client population—from sociodemographics to drug use and multiple treatment problem severities—highlights the complexity of issues and difficulties encountered by those attempting to treat clients or plan treatment strategies.