Conditional factors of maturing out: legal supervision and treatment.

This study is third in a series exploring the conditional nature of the process of maturing out of narcotics addiction over time. Hypotheses are tested about the relationship of two selected social interventions, legal supervision and methadone maintenance treatment, on maturing out. The technique of log linear modeling is used on long-term follow-up data from 375 admissions to the California Civil Addict Program. Results suggest that maturing out may be conditional on methadone treatment participation, which reduces addicted use to a greater extent for older addicts, but does not seem to be related to legal supervision, which is equally effective regardless of age.