EMPLOYMENT REDUCES CHRONIC DRUG USE, UH
PROFESSORS FIND
Funded by NIH Grant, College of Pharmacy Researchers
Show Welfare Recipients Benefit from ‘Work Therapy’
HOUSTON, Nov. 30, 2004 – It’s said that “idle
hands are the devil’s workshop.” A pair of University
of Houston professors studying employment and drug use now provide
support for that proverb.
Led by Isaac D. Montoya, clinical professor at the UH College of
Pharmacy, this National Institutes of Health (NIH) study found that
employment reduces the chronic drug use of female welfare recipients.
“Our research yielded such significant results that we feel
these findings ultimately can and should be extrapolated to additional
populations,” Montoya said. “In the U.S., alone, nearly
20 million Americans abuse drugs, with women being less likely to
seek treatment than men. And the fact that risk factors and predictors
vary across demographics underscores the need to target various
sub-populations.”
Awarded $4.3 million by the NIH’s National Institute on
Drug Abuse (NIDA) for a five-year study, Montoya received the funds
through the Houston “think tank” Affiliated Systems,
where he is a senior research scientist. Assisted by Victoria L.
Brown, an adjunct assistant professor at the UH College of Pharmacy
and research scientist with Affiliated Systems, and Micah A. Riley,
a research assistant with Affiliated Systems, Montoya found that
welfare reform – primarily designed to transition women from
welfare to work – also may be a significant factor in drug
abuse prevention and education. A positive correlation was found
between employment and the reduction of chronic drug use within
welfare populations, providing definitive data that supports “work
therapy” as a tertiary prevention model for drug addiction
as an alternative or in addition to traditional therapy options
like programs and meetings.
“The study demonstrates that welfare reform policy has an
unintended benefit,” Montoya said. “Employment promotes
a healthy lifestyle by providing structure, income and benefits
that increase self esteem and a sense of purpose. These elements
may not be provided when recipients simply attend 12-step meetings.”
The study also showed that top predictors of drug abuse are linked
to risk and protective factors and that prevention programs should
be designed to enhance protective factors while reducing risks.
According to NIDA, protective factors are those that may reduce
the potential for drug use, such as strong bonds within a family
network, school, work or religious organization, as well as adoption
of conventional norms about drug use. Risk factors make the potential
for drug use more likely and include poor academic and career achievement,
shy, aggressive and impulsive personality traits, exposure to substance
abuse by family members, lack of positive recreational programming
and exposure to weak law enforcement for the use of illicit substances.
To establish a preventative model in populations with high risk
and low protective factors, the researchers selected female Temporary
Assistance to Needy Family (TANF) recipients to participate in the
study. Since a lack of time and caring for their children are two
of the most cited reasons among female drug users for not seeking
treatment programs, the researchers selected employment as the primary
prevention strategy for women, an activity achievable and common
in an average person’s day. These individuals were not participating
in any drug treatment programs during the study.
Of the 534 TANF study participants analyzed in the first year, one-third
reported being chronic drug users of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines,
using an average of 14 times a week. At intake, five percent of
these individuals reported being employed. Employment rates and
hours during this first year were measured by interviewing participants
quarterly, with employment among drug-users rising to approximately
39 percent.
“We attribute this sharp increase in employment to the outreach
and training of the local workforce board,” Montoya said.
“We have one of the best workforce boards in the country that
has been recognized by the Department of Labor and the State of
Texas for its leadership in helping people secure employment.”
During the second year of the study, the researchers’ focus
shifted to the effect of employment on drug usage, finding that
drug use fell 79 percent during this second year among users who
remained employed. With average usage dropping from 14 times a week
to three, the findings showed that drug use frequency decreased
as employment hours increased.
“This is a significant discovery with unexpected results,”
Montoya said. “The opportunity to efficiently use tax payers’
money by addressing two major problems at once is exciting and affords
policy makers the opportunity to be creative in maximizing the use
of limited resources.”
Montoya’s next steps are to design drug prevention efforts
for drug using welfare recipients that rely upon this “work
therapy” model as its key component to prevent continued drug
use. Future drug prevention research efforts also may benefit from
observing how individuals spend their time. These findings, he says,
may further indicate that lack of opportunity for meaningful and
rewarding work leads to an increased likelihood of negative behaviors.
Filling that time with employment also would serve to reduce economic
barriers.
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