National analysis of differences among substance abuse treatment outcomes: college student and nonstudent emerging adults.

OBJECTIVE

To discover differences between student and nonstudent substance abuse treatment demographics, treatment characteristics, and outcomes.

PARTICIPANTS

Conducted February 2014, clients without prior treatment admissions, aged 18-24, not in methadone maintenance therapy, and in nonintensive and ambulatory intensive outpatient treatment settings (N=467,233).

METHODS

Chi-square was used to analyze differences. Multivariate logistic regression including covariates and the student status predicted successful completion with risk differences (RD).

RESULTS

Students were more likely to successfully complete treatment than nonstudents (56.15% vs 41.96%; χ2=1355.04, df=1, p<.0001, RD=14.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] [13.43, 14.95]), and students were 6.92 (95% CI [6.26, 7.58]) percentage points less likely than nonstudents to remain in treatment for longer than 4 months (χ2=367.24, df=1, p<.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment providers seem to have greater results retaining students in shorter periods. Suggestions for higher education treatment engagement are discussed.