Substance use improvement depends on Race/Ethnicity: Outpatient treatment disparities observed in a large US national sample.

BACKGROUND

Racial/ethnic disparities exist at many levels of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery, reflecting biological and socioeconomic factors. However, racial/ethnic disparities in SUD treatment effectiveness have not been sufficiently investigated.

METHODS

Data for US outpatient SUD treatment facilities receiving public funding from 2015 to 2017 were analyzed using the Treatment Episode Datasets-Discharge (TEDS-D). The study sample (N = 72,242) were White (n = 51,663), Black (n = 11,789), and Latino (n = 8782) clients reporting substance use frequency at admission and discharge. Multiple logistic regression was used to predict substance use improvement from race/ethnicity, socioeconomic variables, and their interactions. Moderating effects and their clinically meaningful effect sizes of risk differences (RD) were of primary interest.

RESULTS

The simple improvement comparison was statistically significant (χ = 380.59, p < 0.0001). Latino clients improved more (RD = 5.12, 95 % CI = 4.02, 6.22) and Black clients improved less than White clients (RD = -7.93, 95 % CI = -8.93, -6.93). However, race/ethnicity significantly and meaningfully moderated the relationship between substance use improvement and age, employment status, problem substance, and referral source (Wald χ = 5005.94, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Latinos demonstrated greater use improvement than Black and White clients. Socioeconomic characteristics moderated this general tendency. Culturally sensitive treatments can be enhanced by addressing culturally specific needs according to client age, employment, specific problem substance, and referral source. For example, Black clients referred from school improved more than Whites and Latinos. Increasing resources for school referrals may further improve Black client outcomes.