title: Does a history of violence influence treatment, self-help, and 1-year outcomes in substance use disorder patients?
abstract: Rates of violence perpetration are high among patients with substance use disorder, but the impact of violence on substance use disorder treatment outcomes has received little attention. Patients with (n = 155) or without (n = 190) a history of difficulty controlling violent behavior were interviewed at entry to substance use disorder treatment and 1 year later. Substance use disorder severity, amount of treatment, and extent of participation in 12-step self-help groups were assessed to examine potential differences in treatment outcomes between violent and non-violent patients. After adjusting for baseline differences, no differences in substance use disorder severity were found at 1 year. However, over the year, violent patients received more treatment and participated more in 12-step groups compared to non-violent patients. In addition, violent patients benefited more from 12-step group participation than non-violent patients did. Referral to 12-step self-help groups may enhance the likelihood of recovery from a substance use disorder for patients with a history of violence.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Care Evaluation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University School of Medicine, Menlo Park, CA, USA. renee.schneider@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Timko