Effects of sustained abstinence among treated substance-abusing homeless persons on housing and employment.
OBJECTIVE
We examined whether cocaine-dependent homeless persons had stable housing and were employed 6, 12, and 18 months after they entered a randomized controlled trial comparing 2 treatments.


METHODS
One group (n = 103) received abstinence-contingent housing, vocational training, and work; another group (n = 103) received the same intervention plus cognitive behavioral day treatment. We examined baseline and early treatment variables for association with long-term housing and employment.


RESULTS
Although the enhanced-treatment group achieved better abstinence rates, the groups did not differ in long-term housing and employment stability. However, consecutive weeks of abstinence during treatment (and to a lesser extent, older age and male gender) predicted long-term housing and employment stability after adjustment for baseline differences in employment, housing, and treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data showed a relationship of abstinence with housing stability. Contrasting these results with the increasingly popular Housing First interventions reveals important gaps in our knowledge to be addressed in future research.
Milby
Jesse B
JB
Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CH 201, 1530 3rd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170, USA. jmilby@uab.edu
Schumacher
Joseph E
JE
Wallace
Dennis
D
Vuchinich
Rudy
R
Mennemeyer
Stephen T
ST
Kertesz
Stefan G
SG
D000328:Adult; D000407:Alabama; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome