Drug Abuse Treatment

Research Findings from February, 1999 Director's Report

This section lists selected summaries from NIDA funded research projects that investigate the child and adolescent drug abuse treatment. The summaries provided were selected from recent issues of the Director's Report to the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse. For a more comprehensive listing of NIDA funded projects see the Director's Report.

Open Trial of Bupropion to Treat ADHD in Adolescents with Substance Use Disorders and Conduct Disorder

Dr. Riggs and colleagues at the University of Colorado School of Medicine assessed the efficacy of bupropion to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescent males diagnosed with comorbid conduct and substance use disorders. The primary aim was to treat the ADHD and thereby indirectly reduce drug use and other behavior problems. Preliminary data indicate a reduction in ADHD symptomatology, antisocial behavior and level of drug abuse. Riggs, P.D., Leon, S.L., Mikulich, S.K. and Pottle, L.C. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 37(12), pp. 1271-1278, 1998.

Service-level Costing of Drug Abuse Treatment

A methodology is developed for estimating the cost of delivering specific substance abuse treatment services. Based on data from 13 programs, it was estimated that the average cost of residential treatment is $2,773 per patient per month and outpatient treatment costs an average of $636 per patient per month. Data are presented on the cost per patient per month for individual treatment and nontreatment services, average number of services, costs per unit of service, and intensity of services. In addition to their applications to insurance benefit cost estimation and as an aid in the design of cost-effective treatment, these data illustrate the costing of best practice adolescent treatment consistent with a Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Treatment Improvement Protocol. Anderson, D.W., Bowland, B.J., Cartwright, W.S. and Bassin, G. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 15(3), pp. 201-211, 1998.

Self-Initiated Quitting Among Adolescent Smokers

This paper reviews the literature regarding predictors of adolescent self-initiated smoking cessation in a large sample of alternative high school youth in southern California. Youth attend alternative schools due to academic or behavioral problems, and are at relatively high risk for cigarette smoking. Several demographic (e.g., gender), behavioral (e.g., level of smoking), and psychosocial (e.g., risk-taking) predictors of adolescent smoking cessation were investigated. The alternative high school cohort provided a sufficient sample size of quitters (defined as no use in the last 30 days, measured after a 1-year period) to permit a prospective examination of adolescent smoking cessation. Although nine demographic, behavioral, or psychosocial variables discriminated among quitters and nonquitters in univariate analyses, only level of baseline smoking, smoking intention, and perceived stress were predictors in a final multivariable model. Taking results of the literature review and study findings together, smoking cessation programs for adolescents should include counteraction of problem-prone attitudes, support of wellness attitudes, provision of motivation to quit strategies, and assistance with overcoming withdrawal symptoms. Sussman, S. et al. Self-initiated Quitting Among Adolescent Smokers. Preventive Medicine, 27, A19-A28, 1998.