Treatment attendance among homeless youth: the impact of childhood abuse and prior suicide attempts.

Treatment engagement and retention is a significant challenge for those who serve adolescent substance abusers. Homeless youth are considered especially challenging to engage and maintain in intervention efforts given their lack of residence and range of associated problems. This study examined predictors of treatment attendance and its impact on substance use outcome among a sample of substance abusing homeless youth (n = 133). Stepwise regression results indicated that a history of sexual abuse and suicide attempts were the two strongest predictors of the treatment attendance rate, higher attendance among those with these histories. Youths who attended greater than 6 treatment sessions showed a significant reduction in alcohol use at post-treatment, but attendance rates did not impact other substance use. Identifying predictors of treatment attendance among this subgroup of adolescents is vital given that much research suggests that treatment attendance alone is associated with better short and long term outcomes.