PRETREATMENT VARIABLES THAT PREDICT COMPLETION OF AN ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE-ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM

The present study was designed to determine the utility of pretreatmen t data in predicting completion and dropout from adolescent substance abuse treatment. One hundred thirty-two consecutively admitted adolesc ents (mean age = 16.4 years; 93 male subjects, 39 female subjects) wit h significant substance abuse were-administered a battery of standardi zed substance abuse, psychopathology, and social questionnaires immedi ately after admission to an intensive, set-length substance abuse trea tment program. Seventy-four adolescents completed the program. Using d iscriminant function analyses, five pretreatment measures were found t o predict treatment completion in male subjects, including: greater se verity of problems with alcohol; greater use of drugs other than alcoh ol, cannabis, and tobacco; higher degree of internalizing problems; an d lower self-esteem. Significant predictors for completion by female s ubjects were not found. The role of treatment readiness and motivation for male subjects is examined, and the lack of significant findings f or female subjects is discussed.