This demonstration research project aims to overcome a major limitation in current therapeutic community treatment of addicted mothers. This is the lack of child care facilities for infants and children. Rather than place their infants with relatives, friends or foster care, most mothers will either notenter treatment or will drop out early to be with their children. To overcome this barrier the demonstration component of the project will expand female treatment bed capacity. It will also develop on-site infant care facilities in a therapeutic community (TC) program. The primary study hypotheses concern whether mothers randomly assigned to the experimental child care component are more likely 1) to enter treatment and to stay longer, 2) to have improved post-treatment outcome with respect to drug use, employment and criminality and 3) to have improved outcome related to motherinfant bonding variables. Over a five year period 80 subjects will be recruited from the waiting list of an 84 bed extended care program, and randomly assigned either to infant care (TC plus) or to the current program which lacks infant care (TC). To be eligible, mothers must require long term residential care, must have a serious cocaine problem and an infant age 2 to 12 months with perinatal cocaine exposure. The measurement plan includes baseline as well as follow up assessments during and after treatment. Assessments of mothers include the Addiction Severity Index, Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Anxiety Scale and urine drug screens. Motherinfant attachment will be measured by age adjusted Ainsworth Strange Situation. Infant mental and motor development will be assessed with Bayley Scales of Infant Development.
| Schinka, J A; Hughes, P H; Coletti, S D et al. (1999) Changes in personality characteristics in women treated in a therapeutic community. J Subst Abuse Treat 16:137-42 |
| Glider, P; Hughes, P; Mullen, R et al. (1996) Two therapeutic communities for substance-abusing women and their children. NIDA Res Monogr 166:32-51 |
| Coletti, S D; Schinka, J A; Hughes, P H et al. (1995) PAR Village for chemically dependent women. Philosophy and program elements. J Subst Abuse Treat 12:289-96 |
| Hughes, P H; Coletti, S D; Neri, R L et al. (1995) Retaining cocaine-abusing women in a therapeutic community: the effect of a child live-in program. Am J Public Health 85:1149-52 |
| Coletti, S D; Hughes, P H; Landress, H J et al. (1992) PAR village. Specialized intervention for cocaine abusing women and their children. J Fla Med Assoc 79:701-5 |
