Associations Between School-Based Substance Use Treatment and Academic Outcomes.

Objectives

Evaluate the association between school-based treatment of substance use disorders and academic outcomes by developing a system of simple and easily tracked academic performance metrics coinciding with an established substance use treatment program.

Methods

This study provided treatment to 75 high school students enrolled without exclusion who voluntarily sought care for substance use disorders. Participants were enrolled in a 12-week program of individual motivational interviewing, acceptance and commitment therapy, family sessions, case management, contingency management, and psychiatric consultation at school-based health centers. We tracked distinct metrics of substance use treatment, including urine drug screens and self-reported use, along with three key metrics of academic performance referred to as the ABCs: attendance (No. of missed classes and percentage of days attended), behavior (No. of behavioral incidents per semester), and credits (grade-point average).

Results

Participants in the study attended an average of 6.4 sessions and nearly 50% attained a negative urine drug screen. Participants demonstrated a significant reduction in behavioral incidents with an average decrease from 1.2 to 0.41 incidents per semester (p < 0.01). In addition, there was a reduction in the mean number of missed classes from 148 per semester to 127 (p = 0.001).

Conclusions

School-based substance use treatment appears to be associated with a reduction in behavioral incidents and improved class attendance. This study provides the foundation for development of a robust school-based substance treatment program that can be rigorously evaluated against a control group for students with substance use disorders.