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Addiction Careers: Etiology, Treatment, and 12-Year Follow- Up Outcomes

NCJ Number
154317
Journal
Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 16 Dated: (Winter 1986) Pages: 107-121
Author(s)
D D Simpson; G W Joe; W E K Lehman; S B Sells
Date Published
1986
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Follow-up interviews were conducted with 405 black and white male opioid addicts 12 years after admission to drug abuse treatments in the Drug Abuse Reporting Program (DARP); findings are presented in this article.
Abstract
Admissions to DARP drug abuse treatment programs totaled 27,214 during the period of June 1969 through May 1972. From this population base, a stratified random sample of 4,107 clients from 25 DARP agencies located across the United States was selected for the 6-year follow-up study; 87 percent of the cases were located, and successful interviews were completed with 3,131 respondents. The stratification factors included DARP treatment classification, time in treatment, race-ethnic group, sex, age, and treatment agency or clinic. From the completed 6-year interviews, a stratified random sample of 697 was selected for a 12-year follow-up study of opioid addiction careers. A total of 490 were interviewed. This study, however, focuses only on the male subsample (n=405) because females were fewer in number and differed systematically on several behavioral measures, such as employment and criminality. Outcomes over time showed that the behavioral improvements observed throughout the first 6-year posttreatment follow-up period (compared with pretreatment baselines) tended to stabilize between years 6 and 12. Approximately one-fourth of the sample still used opioid drugs daily in year 12. Demographic and background measures generally failed to predict year 12 outcomes, although year 6 outcomes were related to those in year 12. Reasons for starting, continuing, and terminating opioid addiction were also examined, as well as the importance of treatment during addiction careers. 3 tables, 1 figure, and 29 references