Differences in Successful Substance Use Treatment Completion by Age and Pregnancy Status

Abstract

Despite the importance of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment during pregnancy, treatment utilization and completion remain suboptimal among pregnant individuals. Pregnant adolescents represent a uniquely vulnerable subgroup, yet very few studies have examined SUD treatment completion among pregnant adolescents. This study involved a secondary analysis of Treatment Episode Data Set -Discharges (TEDS-D). The analytic sample included 210,412 females aged 12–49 years. Logistic regression was used to examine whether treatment completion differed by pregnancy status and age group. State-level variation in SUD treatment completion among pregnant individuals was also assessed. Findings revealed that among females of childbearing age, pregnant adolescents had the lowest treatment completion rates. Treatment completion also varied across U.S. regions and differed significantly by race/ethnicity, length of stay, and primary substance used. These findings emphasize the need for culturally competent and tailored interventions to improve substance use treatment engagement and outcomes among females of childbearing age.

Keywords

substance use substance use disorder (SUD)treatment outcomes pregnancy adolescents

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