Factors Associated with Treatment Response at 1-Year Follow-Up from a Residential Substance Use Disorder Programme for Young People Aged 16–24 Years

Abstract

Identifying correlates of treatment response may help to improve outcomes for adolescents and young people with substance use disorder (SUD). We assessed treatment response in an adolescent/young person-specific community-based residential SUD programme located in NSW, Australia. Participants (N = 100) were aged 16–24 years and recruited between 2018 and 2020 from a cohort study investigating treatment outcomes over time. We assessed treatment response using available data at 1-year follow-up (n = 24). Approximately one third (n = 9) of participants were classified as responders at 1-year follow-up (i.e. scoring below the clinical cut-off on the Brief Symptom Inventory Global Severity Index). At treatment entry, responders had higher levels of self-efficacy (d = 1.04), better functional status (d = 1.09), and less borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms (d = 1.26). Exploratory whole-sample analyses indicated over half of participants (56%) screened positively for a diagnosis of BPD at treatment entry, which was associated with more severe global psychiatric symptoms (d = .85), poorer functional status, (d = .76), lower self-efficacy (d = .73), higher substance use severity (d = .46), yet better cognitive functioning (d = .75). Findings suggest that comorbid BPD is common in this setting and may contribute to poorer outcomes for adolescents and young people with SUD.