Use of treatment among drug abusers. A five-year prospective study of a treatment-seeking cohort

Abstract

Background: There is little longitudinal research concerning the number and length of different inpatient and outpatient treatment episodes among drug abusers. Most studies follow clients through one or a few treatment episodes and over short time-periods only. Design: Two-hundred Norwegian drug abusers (31 % females, mean age 27.5 year), who consecutively applied for treatment at Phoenix House, Oslo, were personally followed up on average 5 years after the first evaluation. Material: The material consists of 139 drug abusers, 79 % of the original 200 (12 % deceased). Method: Both at first and second evaluation all were interviewed with a structured research interview schedule covering sociodemographic data, substance abuse, legal problems, social adjustment, personality disorder (MCMI), nervous symptoms (SCL-90) and all kinds of treatment received, both number and length of treatment episodes. Results: All except six persons had at least one inpatient treatment stay during the observation period. Average time was 17.6 months in inpatient treatment and 26.0 months in outpatient settings. This means that during 73 % of the observation time the subjects took part in some kind of treatment. Subjects with many inpatient stays had a shorter drug career before the first evaluation. Subjects with few and long inpatient stays were in a somewhat better situation at follow-up, while subjects with manyand short inpatient stays had more alcohol problems but shorter drug careers. Conclusion: Frequency or duration of treatment episodes is not related to client characteristics. It is not the availability of treatment that is lacking but rather treatment effects.