The results suggest that 1) smoking cessation rates with the nicotine transdermal patch are modest in schizophrenia, 2) specialized group therapy for schizophrenic patients is not significantly different from American Lung Association group therapy in its effect on smoking cessation, and 3) atypical agents may be superior to typical agents in combination with the nicotine transdermal patch for smoking cessation in schizophrenia.

The findings highlight ways that drug abuse contributes to compromise of responsible fathering, and they raise questions about ways that the drug abuse treatment system might better address parenting as a treatment issue for men.

Despite longstanding concern that the presence of children deters drug-dependent women from entering treatment, there have been few empirical tests of the relationship between parenting responsibilities and treatment-seeking behavior. In this study, the relationship between number of biological children and treatment history was examined in a cohort of 153 women seeking methadone maintenance treatment. In a standard multiple regression analysis that also allowed for the potential influence of (a) age, (b) education, (c) ethnic minority status, (d) cohabitation with a sexual partner, (e) chronicity of opioid use, and (f) knowledge of HIV infection, there was a significant, negative relationship between number of children and number of earlier contacts for drug abuse treatment. Ethnic minority status and cohabitation with a sexual partner were also associated with fewer earlier contacts; greater chronicity and knowledge of HIV infection were associated with more earlier contacts. Moreover, there was significant moderation of the negative relationship between parenting responsibilities and treatment history by (a) ethnic minority status, (b) cohabitation, and (c) chronicity of use. Within a cross-sectional research design, the findings highlight ways parenting responsibilities may interact with other factors over time to influence the treatment-seeking behavior of drug-dependent women.

Despite concerns about compromise of fathering as a public policy issue, very little is known about the status of drug-abusing men as parents. In this pilot study, 50 men enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment completed a structured research interview designed to generate basic information about patterns of pair bonding, reproduction, and paternal involvement. Descriptive analysis of these data highlighted a number of trends in the nature of fathering that, although at odds with popular stereotypes, were similar to trends noted in research conducted with other populations of disenfranchised men. Consistent with a developmental-ecological perspective on parenting, the findings suggest that historical and situational influences interact within this population to compromise socially responsible efforts to function as a parent. The results also raise questions about the extent to which public policy initiatives designed to promote more responsible fathering are reaching this population, and they highlight ways that the drug abuse treatment system might better support men interested in being a more effective parent.

This survey of individuals seeking methadone maintenance treatment was pursued to document the parenting status of drug-dependent men and clarify ways their status as parents differs from that of drug-dependent women. Data concerning demographic characteristics, drug abuse history, and parenting status were systematically coded from the medical records of 362 men and 162 women seeking methadone maintenance treatment during a 12-month period. Analysis of parenting status by gender indicated that, although a greater proportion of women were the parent of at least one biological child, there were actually more fathers than mothers within the cohort. Among the parents, fathers were more likely to have been abusing opioids when they first became a parent, and they were more likely to be living away from their children. There were no significant gender differences in the number of children or the average age of children. The results suggested that fathering may be an important, but largely neglected, treatment issue for drug-abusing men.