Substance Use, Mental Disorders, Abuse, and Crime: Gender Comparisons Among a National Sample of Adolescent Drug Treatment Clients

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper describes important gender comparisons in drug and alcohol use, illegal activity, physical and sexual abuse, and mental health problems among a large sample of adolescents (N = 3,382) who were treated from 1993 to 1995 in adolescent-oriented drug programs that participated in the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study of Adolescents. Most of the adolescents reported regular use of marijuana and alcohol; males had higher rates of illegal activity and involvement with the juvenile justice system; females reported more sexual abuse, while males reported more physical abuse; and males and females had equal rates of conduct disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. KEYWORDS: Adolescent Substance AbuseGender ComparisonsComorbidityPhysical and Sexual Abuse Among AdolescentsAdolescent Illegal Activity