Patterns of cocaine use among individuals in substance abuse treatment

Recognition of the heterogeneity among substance abusers has led to increased attention to the issue of client-treatment matching. One approach involves identifying different patterns of use within samples of substance abusers. The present preliminary report employed a cluster analysis of various aspects of cocaine use to examine subgroups of cocaine users within a sample of individuals in treatment for substance abuse. Three clusters emerged, differentiated primarily by quantity/frequency of use and route of administration. The resulting subgroups were compared on measures of external validity. Results suggest that subgroups of cocaine use patterns do exist within a sample of substance abusers. In addition, these subgroups differ in age of cocaine use onset and the severity of negative consequences. Future research is needed to establish the clinical utility of these clusters.