Characteristics of American-Indian clients seeking inpatient treatment forsubstance abuse

Objective: The current study was conducted as a preliminary examination of substance use and some of its correlates in nonreservation-residing America n Indians. Method: A group of 522 American-Indian (AI) subjects (473 men) w ere compared with two sets of geographic controls: (1) an equal number of A frican Americans (AA) and (2) an equal number of European Americans (EA). A ll received treatment in the same facilities over the same time period. Res ults: Contrary to expectations, the ethnic/racial groups were remarkably si milar on a number of alcohol use variables, including the amount consumed i n the 6 months prior to treatment and the number of previous treatments. Am ong those self-reporting as problem drinkers, there were group differences in the age of first drink (AA mean = 13.54, AI mean = 12.24 and EA mean = 1 1.71) and first drunk (AA mean = 15.80, AI mean = 14.23 and EA mean = 14.08 ) and the number of alcohol-related problems (AA mean = 7.52, AI mean = 8.4 9 and EA mean = 8.46). On these measures, AI and EA subjects did not differ whereas AA subjects reported a later age of onset and fewer negative conse quences. EA and AI male subjects reported marijuana as their most frequentl y used "other" drug, whereas AA male subjects listed stimulants as their pr imary drugs. Regardless of ethnic/racial group, women did not differ on the ir drug(s) of choice, reporting stimulants as the most frequently abused dr ug (after accounting for alcohol use). Conclusions: This preliminary study is remarkable for the observed similarities among groups. Future studies us ing more rigorous sampling are needed to provide clarification of this prel iminary study.