Predictors of Treatment Attendance Among Substance Abusing Mothers

Abstract

Substance abusing women with children is a vulnerable population as many mothers experience barriers to treatment due to the social stigma of parental drug/alcohol addiction. Identifying predictors of treatment attendance is important given that women who complete treatment report better long-term outcomes than those who drop out of treatment. The present study examined individual and treatment-specific variables that may be related to treatment attendance among substance abusing mothers (N=130). Results indicated that depressive symptoms, treatment type, drug of choice, and the women’s relationship with their family of origin were associated with the number of treatment sessions attended. The findings from this study can inform service providers in engaging and retaining substance abusing women with children in treatment. Specifically, this study can help identify subgroups of women who may be less likely to complete treatment and sustain positive treatment outcomes.