PERCEIVING NEED FOR DRUG-TREATMENT - A LOOK AT 8 HYPOTHESES

Data from the Drug Use Forecasting Program, sponsored by the National Institute of Justice, were used to examine eight hypotheses predicting the perceived need for drug treatment among drug-using arrestees. The findings support five of the eight hypotheses, including those relate d to drug severity, drug type, prior treatment experience, ethnicity, and the fear of AIDS. There was no support for the gender-related help -seeking or the social isolation hypotheses, and the findings contradi ct the maturing out hypothesis. The policy implications of our finding s are discussed.