The Functioning of Individuals on a Drug Abuse Treatment Waiting List

Abstract

Using structured interviews and the SCL-90R, study was made of the behaviors of 29 applicants to a residential treatment program for cocaine abuse who had been placed on that program's waiting list for periods ranging from 1 to 6 months. It was hypothesized that applicants waiting treatment for 3 months or less (N = 16) would be more likely to view themselves as treatment candidates and would show behaviors different from those waiting 4–6 months (N = 13). Being on the waiting list a longer period was associated with greater evidence of criminal justice involvement, but with few other differences. Nearly half the total sample (48.3%) reported having significantly reduced drug use in association with their applying for treatment, but most applicants (58.6%) were pessimistic about their long-term capacity to remain free of drug-related difficulty. The pattern of SCL-90R scores for all subjects suggested significant psychiatric symptoms, including depression. Nonetheless, a majority of all applicants (51.7%) reported themselves as having become less interested in entering treatment. Nearly all applicants reported high levels of encouragement for their decision to enter treatment from persons with whom they were living and about half reported encouragement from friends. Of the 23 applicants who were IV drug users, 10 (41.7%) reported knowing someone who had contracted AIDS, 87.0% reported having changed behaviors—chiefly needle sharing— to reduce the risk of infection, and 69.6% reported having obtained HIV testing. The difficulty encountered in locating a random sample of applicants suggests the problem of maintaining a useful waiting list for treatment. The capacity of a waiting list to support treatment is discussed and alternative strategies explored.