The Impact of the Number of Positive Adult Relationships on Treatment Participation Among Justice- Involved Adolescents with Substance Use Disorder
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Mentor Information
Dr. Micah E. Johnson
Description
Substance use disorder (SUD) continues to be a serious public health issue that disproportionately affects justice-involved adolescents (JIA). There is a gap in research evaluating the impact of the quantity of positive non-familial adult relationships of JIA with SUD on treatment participation. The current study assesses the influence of the quantity of positive adult relationships on substance use treatment participation among JIAs with SUD. The study hypothesizes that positive adult relationships impact JIA’s SUD treatment frequency. This study leverages data from the Positive Achievement Change Tool collected by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. A multivariate logistic regression was employed on a sample of 20,396 JIA with substance use disorder to investigate the association between the number of positive adult relationships and the frequency of substance misuse treatment. The findings reveal that JIA with one, two, and three or more positive adult relationships exhibited 1.34, 1.26, and 1.33 times higher odds of participating in treatment, respectively, compared to those with zero positive adult relationships, all of which were statistically significant. Findings show positive non-familial adult relationships promote adolescent attendance in substance use treatment. Intervention initiatives may seek to connect adolescents with positive, non- familial adults such as those found in community-based restorative justice-programs, structured recreational activities, or mental health and counseling may protect against substance use disorder.
The Impact of the Number of Positive Adult Relationships on Treatment Participation Among Justice- Involved Adolescents with Substance Use Disorder
Substance use disorder (SUD) continues to be a serious public health issue that disproportionately affects justice-involved adolescents (JIA). There is a gap in research evaluating the impact of the quantity of positive non-familial adult relationships of JIA with SUD on treatment participation. The current study assesses the influence of the quantity of positive adult relationships on substance use treatment participation among JIAs with SUD. The study hypothesizes that positive adult relationships impact JIA’s SUD treatment frequency. This study leverages data from the Positive Achievement Change Tool collected by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. A multivariate logistic regression was employed on a sample of 20,396 JIA with substance use disorder to investigate the association between the number of positive adult relationships and the frequency of substance misuse treatment. The findings reveal that JIA with one, two, and three or more positive adult relationships exhibited 1.34, 1.26, and 1.33 times higher odds of participating in treatment, respectively, compared to those with zero positive adult relationships, all of which were statistically significant. Findings show positive non-familial adult relationships promote adolescent attendance in substance use treatment. Intervention initiatives may seek to connect adolescents with positive, non- familial adults such as those found in community-based restorative justice-programs, structured recreational activities, or mental health and counseling may protect against substance use disorder.
