Prospective risk factors and treatment outcomes among adolescents in DATOS-A

The relationships between risk factors and outcomes in adolescents particip ating in the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies for Adolescents (DATOS-A) were examined The study included 292 admissions to nine outpatient drug-fr ee (ODF) and 418 admissions to eight residential (RES) programs. Assessment s were administered at intake into treatment and 12 months following discha rge. For ODF participants, (a) severity of drug use predicted less retentio n in treatment, and (b)family drug involvement predicted more alcohol use a fter treatment. For RES participants, (a)family drug involvement and crimin al involvement predicted less treatment retention, and (b) conduct disorder predicted more marijuana use at follow-up. The findings underscore the nee d for intervention strategies that address the intrapsychic and interperson al functioning of drug-abusing adolescents to improve their behavioral outc omes.