title: Association of clinical characteristics and cessation of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use during pregnancy.
abstract: Pregnancy is a time of relative urgency and opportunity for the treatment of substance use disorders in women, yet little is known about modifiable factors that contribute to successful abstinence. We examined self-worth, depression, anxiety, and novelty seeking in the context of substance use cessation during pregnancy in a sample of women with a high prevalence of substance abuse. Subjects were 448 birth mothers who participated in a prospective adoption study. Discontinuation rates were: tobacco 22.2%, alcohol 64.7%, marijuana 77.2%, and other drugs, 73.7-100%. Depression, anxiety, and novelty seeking were lower among women who discontinued substance use, compared to those who did not. Self-worth was higher in women who discontinued substance use. Among 110 polysubstance users, the number of substances discontinued during pregnancy was correlated with depression, anxiety, and self-worth in the hypothesized direction. Possible clinical implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2150 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA. smassey@mfa.gwu.edu
authors.forename: Suena H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Massey
authors.forename: Daniel Z
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Lieberman
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.forename: Leslie D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Leve
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Jenae M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Neiderhiser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*