Factors that interact with treatment to predict outcomes in substance abuse programs for the homeless

This paper reviews the main treatment effects observed in the New Orleans Homeless Substance Abusers Project and then analyzes and discusses factors that appear to interact with treatment to produce successful treatment outcomes. Outcomes are assessed for alcohol and drug use, housing stability, and employment. Results show marginally significant positive effects for long-term treatment, but only for clients retained in treatment for more than about three months. Holding treatment variables constant, client characteristics that predict successful treatment outcomes include gender, education, age, psychiatric morbidity, drug of choice, attendance at AA/NA meetings, and prior treatment histories. Some of these same factors also predict success among controls. The significance, sign, and magnitude of these effects, however, varies depending on which specific outcome one analyzes. Thus, variation in treatment effectiveness is associated with entering conditions, as the literature suggests, but which entering conditions matter most depends on which specific outcome one examines.