In The News Gender differences in private substance abuse treatment retention Longer stays in alcohol and drug treatment lead to better post-treatment results.
Factors leading to a successful stay in treatment seem to differ by gender.
For women, staying in treatment was predicted by being unemployed, being married, having higher incomes, and having lower levels of psychiatric severity relative to those who dropped out. For men, staying in treatment was predicted by being older, receiving employer pressure to enter treatment, and having a goal to abstain from drinking and drug use. Longer stays in alcohol and drug treatment are related to better post-treatment results. However, much of the previous research on treatment retention has examined public alcohol and drug treatment programs. Additionally, few studies have examined gender-specific reasons for treatment retention.