Do therapist cultural characteristics influence the outcome of substance abuse treatment for Spanish-speaking adults?
This secondary data analysis of the Clinical Trials Network's Motivational Enhancement Therapy effectiveness trial with Spanish-speaking substance users examined whether the degree of birthplace and acculturation similarities between clients and therapists, as well as the therapists' own level of acculturation and birthplace were related to the clients' participation in treatment and level of substance use during outpatient substance use treatment. Sixteen therapists and their 235 clients from the larger effectiveness trial were included in the analyses for this study. Results of the multilevel regression models for client participation in substance use treatment and client days of substance use, taking into account within and between therapist cultural characteristics, revealed that birthplace match and acculturation similarity between each therapist and his or her clients did not predict client outcomes. Instead, therapists' birthplace and level of acculturation independently predicted days of substance use, but not treatment participation for monolingual Spanish-speaking clients. These findings are discussed in the context of the results of the main effectiveness trial and of psychotherapy research with ethnic minority populations, in particular Hispanic minorities.
Suarez-Morales
Lourdes
L
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami.
Martino
Steve
S
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University.
Bedregal
Luis
L
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University.
McCabe
Brian E
BE
0000-0001-8637-9223
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami.
Cuzmar
Ivette Y
IY
Health Sciences Center Office of Community Affairs, University of New Mexico.
Paris
Manuel
M
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University.
Feaster
Daniel J
DJ
0000-0002-6172-7460
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami.
Carroll
Kathleen M
KM
0000-0003-3263-3374
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University.
Szapocznik
José
J
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami.
D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000078329:Workforce