FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH EMPLOYMENT AMONG METHADONE PATIENTS

We examined the patient characteristics of 340 subjects in methadone t reatment to determine if these characteristics could differentiate amo ng three ''stages'' of work during the past year (stable unemployment, intermittent work, and stable employment). A multiple discriminant fu nction analysis was able to classify correctly 14% of the cases beyond chance. Results of these analyses found lower depression scores, coca ine abstinence, education, and marital status correlated with stable e mployment conditions. Interventions designed to change these character istics may improve employment conditions among methadone patients.