Measuring employment among substance-using offenders

Subst Use Misuse. 2007;42(7):1187-205. doi: 10.1080/10826080701409800.

Abstract

Employment has been identified as an important predictor of drug abuse treatment outcome; however, employment has been measured in a variety of different ways in the drug abuse literature and typically with community samples. The present IRB-approved study used factor analysis to identify commonalities among several employment measures collected from a sample of drug court offenders who entered one of two Kentucky drug courts between March 2000 and November 2002. Measures included demographics, employment, substance use, and criminality. The factor analysis produced four employment factors: status, earnings, duration, and stability. These factors had different correlation patterns with substance use and criminality. Study limitations are noted.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Crime / statistics & numerical data*
  • Employment / statistics & numerical data*
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Prevalence
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology*