Minority group status and treatment retention

Study was made of the extent to which majority/minority status within program was associated with treatment outcome. Examining situations in which Blacks, Mexican-Americans, and Whites constituted significant majorities or minorities within each of three treatment modalities, it was found that minority status had particular relevance for treatment retention and for type of discharge in drug-free outpatient programs. Minority status was less significant to treatment outcome in methadone maintenance and residential programming. Several hypotheses are offered to explain the greater significance of race/ethnic issues for outpatient drug-free programming.