Trauma and short-term outcome for women in detoxification

The present study documents short-term outcomes for women receiving inpatient detoxification. We also aimed to determine the association between trauma history and these outcomes. One hundred and one randomly selected inner-city women completed a structured questionnaire covering demographic, treatment, and trauma history. All received follow-ups to trace postdischarge disposition 59.4% (n = 60) were classified with positive short-term outcome. Statistically significant relationships were found between positive outcome and both member of previous detox hospitalizations (R = .20 p < .05) and attendance at outpatient programs (R = 35, p < .05). No significant relationships were demonstrated between outcome and histories of violence, use of drugs, or any demographic characteristics. Identifying histories of trauma did not interfere with treatment completion or further treatment seeking. Our results suggest that for women with heavy drug and alcohol problems, the capacity to accept and utilize help may be developed over repeated treatment exposures rather than related to intrinsic character trails.