An Exploratory Study Analyzing the Impact of Coercion on the Outcomes of Substance Abuse Program Participants

This study involved the investigation of institutional coercion on the outcomes of program participants in an alcohol, tobacco, and other illegal substance prevention and intervention program. The researcher explored the importance of determining changes in pre-program characteristics of youths participating for 5, 8, or 12 weeks in an alcohol, tobacco, and other illegal substance prevention and early intervention program. Data was utilized to validate trends in participants experiencing compulsory programming on three different levels (parent, school, or court). Program pre-tests and post-tests survey questions were administered to youths who were at some level, coerced into a treatment program. Data was utilized to measure participant outcomes, including any changes in their attitudes towards illegal substances. Firstly, a five-way analysis of variance explored the link between sociodemographic background of program participants and specific institutional factors in relation to the youths\u27 level of coercion. The researcher then explored program impact on its participants regarding institutional factors such as number of days skipped at school and how meaningful their schoolwork was to them, also measured the level of coercion the participant had experienced. Finally, data was examined to determine whether participants experienced change in their attitude pertaining to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. All analyses indicated no significance for all levels of coercion, implying the program is effective for all participants no matter their level of coercion into the program. The findings may be useful in the future programming of youths being instructed in prevention and intervention curriculums in order to delve deeper into effective treatment models for youths experiencing coercion prior to treatment