Holtyn August F, DeFulio Anthony, Silverman Kenneth
Center for Learning and Health, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
J Vocat Rehabil. 2015;42(1):67-74. doi: 10.3233/JVR-140724.
The strong association between unemployment and drug addiction suggests that employment interventions are an important and needed focus of drug-addiction treatment. The increasing necessity of possessing basic academic skills to function in the workplace may require that some individuals receive educational training along with vocational training.
This study investigated the academic skills of drug-addicted and chronically-unemployed adults ( = 559) who were enrolled in one of six studies conducted at the Center for Learning and Health in Baltimore, MD.
Upon study enrollment, academic skills in math, spelling, and reading were examined using the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-3 or WRAT-4) and educational history was examined using the Addiction Severity Index-Lite.
Although participants completed an average of 11 years of education, actual academic skill level was at or below the seventh grade level for 81% of participants in math, 61% in spelling, and 43% in reading, and most participants were classified as Low Average or below based on age group norms. Despite the fact that participants in this analysis were studied across several years and were from diverse populations, rates of high school completion and academic skill levels were remarkably similar.
Programs designed to improve the long-term employment status of drug-addicted individuals may benefit from the inclusion of basic adult education; future research on the topic is needed. Although establishing basic skills does not directly address chronic unemployment, it may help individuals obtain the jobs they desire and function effectively in those jobs.
失业与药物成瘾之间的紧密关联表明，就业干预是药物成瘾治疗的一个重要且必要的重点。在工作场所发挥作用越来越需要具备基本学术技能，这可能要求一些人在接受职业培训的同时接受教育培训。
本研究调查了在马里兰州巴尔的摩学习与健康中心进行的六项研究之一中登记的药物成瘾且长期失业的成年人（n = 559）的学术技能。
在研究登记时，使用广泛成就测验（WRAT - 3或WRAT - 4）检查数学、拼写和阅读方面的学术技能，并使用成瘾严重程度指数简表检查教育史。
尽管参与者平均接受了11年的教育，但81%的参与者在数学方面、61%在拼写方面以及43%在阅读方面的实际学术技能水平处于或低于七年级水平，并且根据年龄组规范，大多数参与者被归类为低平均水平或以下。尽管本分析中的参与者是在几年内进行研究的，且来自不同人群，但高中完成率和学术技能水平非常相似。
旨在改善药物成瘾者长期就业状况的项目可能会受益于纳入成人基础教育；需要对该主题进行进一步研究。虽然建立基本技能并不能直接解决长期失业问题，但它可能有助于个人获得他们想要的工作并在这些工作中有效发挥作用。
