Download or read book Differences in Substance Abuse Treatment Outcome in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Caucasian Adolescents written by David Gage Stewart and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ethnicity is an important factor in understanding the heterogeneity of addictive behaviors. Hispanic adolescents in substance abuse treatment programs have been found to differ from non-Hispanic Caucasian adolescents in the relationship of their delinquent behavior to psychoactive substance involvement. This study examined differences in posttreatment substance use and delinquent behaviors in Mexican American and non-Hispanic Caucasian adolescents during the initial six months following treatment for substance abuse. In addition, the impact of acculturation and cultural specific stress on the outcomes of Mexican American substance abusing adolescents was explored. The study included 40 Mexican American and 230 non-Hispanic Caucasian teens entering inpatient adolescent alcohol and drug treatment programs. Participants were interviewed during the treatment program and at six months following discharge. A resource person was interviewed as a corroborative informant. The Customary Drinking and Drug Use Record (CDDR), the Relapse Review and the Conduct Disorder Questionnaire (CDQ) were administered to assess psychoactive substance involvement, aftercare meeting attendance and delinquent behavior over the six month period of the study. Mexican American subjects also completed the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans (ARSMA-II) and a subscale of the Hispanic Stress Inventory (HSI) measuring cultural and family conflict. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to test the interaction between ethnicity and delinquency in predicting posttreatment substance use. The relationship between acculturation and cultural stress on posttreatment outcome was also explored using regression and correlation. While Mexican American and Caucasian adolescents demonstrated similar rates of relapse and abstinence during the six months following substance abuse treatment, Mexican American adolescents had more intense substance use patterns and more negative consequences for alcohol and drug relapse. Additionally, compared to Caucasian youth, Mexican American adolescents displayed a stronger relationship between delinquent behavior and substance use intensity during the six months after treatment. Acculturation had an influence on outcomes for Mexican American adolescents, with Anglo orientation negatively correlated with posttreatment substance use, and overall acculturation related to likelihood to attend AA/NA meetings.