Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
- Publication Year
- File Type
Articles 31 - 52 of 52
Full-Text Articles in Sociology
Drinkers And Bettors: Investigating The Complementarity Of Alcohol Consumption And Problem Gambling, Michael T. French, Jc Maclean, Sl Ettner
Drinkers And Bettors: Investigating The Complementarity Of Alcohol Consumption And Problem Gambling, Michael T. French, Jc Maclean, Sl Ettner
Michael T. French
Regulated gambling is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States with greater than 100% increases in revenue over the past decade. Along with this rise in gambling popularity and gaming options comes an increased risk of addiction and the associated social costs. This paper focuses on the effect of alcohol use on gambling-related problems. Variables correlated with both alcohol use and gambling may be difficult to observe, and the inability to include these items in empirical models may bias coefficient estimates. After addressing the endogeneity of alcohol use when appropriate, we find strong evidence that problematic gambling and alcohol …
The Economic Costs Of Substance Abuse Treatment: Updated Estimates And Cost Bands For Program Assessment And Reimbursement, Michael T. French, Ioana Popovici, Lauren M. Tapsell
The Economic Costs Of Substance Abuse Treatment: Updated Estimates And Cost Bands For Program Assessment And Reimbursement, Michael T. French, Ioana Popovici, Lauren M. Tapsell
Michael T. French
Federal, state, and local government agencies require current and accurate cost information for publicly funded substance abuse treatment programs to guide program assessments and reimbursement decisions. The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment published a list of modality-specific cost bands for this purpose in 2002. However, the upper and lower values in these ranges are so wide that they offer little practical guidance for funding agencies. Thus, the dual purpose of this investigation was to assemble the most current and comprehensive set of economic cost estimates from the readily available literature and then use these estimates to develop updated modality-specific cost …
Economic Evaluation Of Continuing Care Interventions In The Treatment Of Substance Abuse, Michael T. French, Ioana Popovici, James R. Mckay
Economic Evaluation Of Continuing Care Interventions In The Treatment Of Substance Abuse, Michael T. French, Ioana Popovici, James R. Mckay
Michael T. French
The chronic and relapsing nature of substance abuse points to the need for continuing care after a primary phase of treatment. This article reviews the economic studies of continuing care, discusses research gaps, highlights some of the challenges of conducting rigorous economic evaluations of continuing care, and offers research guidelines and recommendations for future economic studies in this emerging field. Rigorous economic evaluations are needed by health care providers and policy makers to justify the allocation of scarce resources to continuing care interventions. The adoption of cost-effective continuing care services can reduce long-term consequences of addiction, thereby potentially increasing overall …
“Utilization And Cost Of Mental Health, Substance Abuse, And Medical Services Among At-Risk Drinkers, Michael T. French, Paul J. Nieter, Joann E. Kirchne, Brenda M. Booth
“Utilization And Cost Of Mental Health, Substance Abuse, And Medical Services Among At-Risk Drinkers, Michael T. French, Paul J. Nieter, Joann E. Kirchne, Brenda M. Booth
Michael T. French
The objective of this research was to examine whether users of mental health or substance abuse (MH/SA) services incurred greater costs for non-MH/SA services than nonusers of MH/SA services. Two years of health care utilization data were collected on 443 at-risk drinkers from six southern U.S. states. We then examined predictors of using MH/SA services and costs associated with non-MH/SA services. The results showed that use of MH/SA services was associated with female gender, military service, health insurance, and not being employed full-time. Unadjusted analyses indicated that non-MH/SA service costs were significantly higher among MH/SA service users than nonusers. However, …
Measuring Use Of Health Services For At-Risk Drinkers: How Brief Can You Get?, Michael T. French, Brenda M. Booth, Joann E. Kirchne, Stacy M. Fortney, Xiaotong Han, Carol R. Thrush
Measuring Use Of Health Services For At-Risk Drinkers: How Brief Can You Get?, Michael T. French, Brenda M. Booth, Joann E. Kirchne, Stacy M. Fortney, Xiaotong Han, Carol R. Thrush
Michael T. French
This study examines the validity, utility, and costs of using a brief telephone-administered instrument, the Brief Health Services Questionnaire (BHSQ), for self-reported health care provider contacts relative to collection and abstraction of complete medical records. The study sample was 441 community-dwelling at-risk drinkers who participated in an 18-month longitudinal study. Agreement between BHSQ self-reports and abstracted provider contacts was good to very good for general medical (79% agreement, kappa = .50) and specialty mental health contacts (93% agreement, kappa = .62), but low for Bother^ miscellaneous health contacts (61% agreement, kappa = .04). Average cost to collect and abstract complete …
“Does America Spend Enough On Addiction Treatment?: Results From Public Opinion Surveys, Michael T. French, Amie L. Nielsen, Jenny F. Homer
“Does America Spend Enough On Addiction Treatment?: Results From Public Opinion Surveys, Michael T. French, Amie L. Nielsen, Jenny F. Homer
Michael T. French
Addiction treatment is often misunderstood and underappreciated in the United States. Although a large body of literature clearly demonstrates the clinical and economic benefits of addiction treatment for many clients and in most settings, the general public has a somewhat ambivalent attitude toward treatment expansion and taxpayer financing. A potential reason for this disconnect between economic evidence and public opinion is a weak identification with the need for, or the success of, addiction treatment for those individuals without a substance abuse problem themselves or in members of their family. Alternatively, addiction treatment stakeholders may be delivering an ineffective or misdirected …
Price Elasticity Of Demand For Malt Liquor Beer: Findings From A Pilot Study, Michael T. French, Didra Browntaylor, Ricky N. Bluthenthal
Price Elasticity Of Demand For Malt Liquor Beer: Findings From A Pilot Study, Michael T. French, Didra Browntaylor, Ricky N. Bluthenthal
Michael T. French
Our objective is to estimate the relative price elasticity of demand for malt liquor beer (MLB), regular beer, hard liquor, and a combined group of all other alcoholic beverages. Three hundred and twenty-nine alcohol consumers (mostly male) in South-Central Los Angeles answered a series of questions pertaining to expected consumption responses to hypothetical price increases. We found that based on a 10% price increase, the mean price elasticity of demand (% change in quantity demanded / % change in price) was -0.79 for MLB drinkers, -1.14 for regular beer drinkers, -1.11 for hard liquor drinkers, and -1.69 for the combined …
Alcohol Consumption, Risk Of Injury, And High-Cost Medical Care, Michael French, Helena Salome, Helen Matzger, Constance Weisner
Alcohol Consumption, Risk Of Injury, And High-Cost Medical Care, Michael French, Helena Salome, Helen Matzger, Constance Weisner
Michael T. French
This study examined the effect of alcohol use on the probabilities of injury, inpatient hospital stay, and emergency department visit. Data were obtained from a sample of adults (N=1219) recruited from a Northern California county. Alcohol use measures included number of drinks, heavy drinking days, and an indicator variable for problem drinking. Models were estimated for men and women separately while controlling for confounders. Results indicate that most alcohol use measures were not significantly related to injury probability or medical care utilization. Among the exceptions, problem drinking was a significant positive predictor of any emergency department visit for both sexes. …
Women's Programs Vs. Mixed Gender-Day Treatment: Results From A Randomized Study, Michael French, Jane Witbrodt, Lee Ann Kaskutas, Lixia Zhang
Women's Programs Vs. Mixed Gender-Day Treatment: Results From A Randomized Study, Michael French, Jane Witbrodt, Lee Ann Kaskutas, Lixia Zhang
Michael T. French
Aims To compare outcomes and costs of out-patient women's treatment to mixed-gender programs. Design Randomized clinical trial. Setting Northern California (USA). Intervention Day treatment: one community-based women's program, two mixed-gender community-based programs and one mixed-gender hospital-based program. Participants Substance-dependent women recruited from the community (n=122). Measurements Women were interviewed at baseline, at the end of treatment (94% response rate) and at 6 and 12 months post-treatment (100% response rates). Measures included alcohol and drug use, and psychiatric and social problems. Program costs were estimated using the Drug Abuse Treatment Cost Analysis Program. Findings No significant differences between the women's program …
A Research Agenda For Economic Evaluation Of Substance Abuse Services, Michael T. French, M. C. Drummond
A Research Agenda For Economic Evaluation Of Substance Abuse Services, Michael T. French, M. C. Drummond
Michael T. French
Economic analyses of substance abuse interventions play a critical role in informing the decision makers involved in funding these programs. Despite the emergence of new and more effective interventions, the adoption of costlier services still demands justification based on economic evidence. Updated and more rigorous economic information allows patients, health care professionals, insurance companies, policymakers, and others to allocate scarce resources more efficiently. To prepare for the next wave of addiction health services research, this article presents background information on the economics of addiction health services, reviews recent empirical and methodological contributions, and provides 15 research recommendations.
Brief Physician Advice For Problem Drinking Among Older Adults: An Economic Analysis Of Costs And Benefits, Michael T. French, Marlon P. Mundt, M. Christopher Roebuck, Linda B. Manwell, Kristen L. Barry
Brief Physician Advice For Problem Drinking Among Older Adults: An Economic Analysis Of Costs And Benefits, Michael T. French, Marlon P. Mundt, M. Christopher Roebuck, Linda B. Manwell, Kristen L. Barry
Michael T. French
Objective: Problem alcohol use among elderly persons can have a variety of health-related consequences, complicating management of chronic illnesses and increasing health care utilization and costs. This study evaluates the economic cost and benefits of brief intervention for at-risk drinking older adults. Method: A controlled clinical trial with 24-month follow-up tested effectiveness of brief physician advice in reducing alcohol use, health care utilization and other consequences among older (age 65 or older) adult problem drinkers. Of 6,073 patients screened for problem drinking in 24 community-based primary care practices in Wisconsin, 158 patients met inclusion criteria and were randomized into control …
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Of A Brief Intervention Delivered To Problem Drinkers Presenting At An Inner-City Hospital Emergency Department, Michael T. French, F. Michael Kunz, Shahrzad Bazargan-Hejazi
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Of A Brief Intervention Delivered To Problem Drinkers Presenting At An Inner-City Hospital Emergency Department, Michael T. French, F. Michael Kunz, Shahrzad Bazargan-Hejazi
Michael T. French
Objective: Alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) has gained widespread acceptance as an effective method for reducing problem drinking in at-risk populations. This study examines the cost and cost-effectiveness of an SBI pilot program delivered in an inner-city hospital emergency department (ED) to a traditionally underserved population. Method: A total of 1,036 subjects were screened for problem drinking during their visit to an ED. Eligible participants (N= 294) were randomly assigned to either a brief intervention group or a control group. As the result of attrition, a final sample of 194 (90 brief intervention; 104 control) participants remained at follow-up. …
Out Of Touch Or On The Money: Do The Clinical Objectives Of Addiction Treatment Coincide With Economic Evaluation Results?, Michael French, Clara Dismuke, Helena Salome, Mark Foss, Chris Scott, Michael Dennis
Out Of Touch Or On The Money: Do The Clinical Objectives Of Addiction Treatment Coincide With Economic Evaluation Results?, Michael French, Clara Dismuke, Helena Salome, Mark Foss, Chris Scott, Michael Dennis
Michael T. French
Previous economic studies have examined the association between substance abuse treatment and reduced costs to society, but it remains uncertain whether the economic measures used in cost and benefit-cost analyses of treatment programs correspond in direction and magnitude with clinical outcomes. In response to this uncertainty, the present study analyzed a longitudinal data set of addiction treatment clients to determine the statistical agreement between clinical and economic outcomes over time. Data were collected from 1,326 clients in the Chicago cohort of the Persistent Effects of Treatment Study. These individuals were interviewed at baseline as well as at 6-, 24-, 36-, …
Outcomes And Costs Of Day Hospital Treatment And Nonmedical Day Treatment For Chemical Dependency, Michael T. French, Jane Witbrodt, Lee Ann Kaskutas
Outcomes And Costs Of Day Hospital Treatment And Nonmedical Day Treatment For Chemical Dependency, Michael T. French, Jane Witbrodt, Lee Ann Kaskutas
Michael T. French
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to estimate the outcomes and costs of day hospital and nonmedical community-based day treatment for chemical dependency. METHOD: A community sample of 271 adults (179 men) dependent on alcohol and/or drugs was recruited and randomized to either a hospital-based (medical) day treatment program or to a community-based (nonmedical) day treatment program. The day hospital (DH) program lasted for 3 weeks. One community-based program (CP2) lasted for 4 weeks, and the other (CP1) lasted for 6 weeks but with shorter treatment days and more criminal justice clients. Because of our concerns regarding treatment fidelity, …
Cost Estimation When Time And Resources Are Limited: The Brief Datcap, Michael T. French, M. Christopher Roebuck, A. Thomas Mclellan
Cost Estimation When Time And Resources Are Limited: The Brief Datcap, Michael T. French, M. Christopher Roebuck, A. Thomas Mclellan
Michael T. French
The Drug Abuse Treatment Cost Analysis Program (DATCAP) was designed in the early 1990s as a research guide to collect and analyze financial data from addiction treatment programs. The addiction research community could clearly benefit from a version of the DATCAP that reduced the time and effort required for its administration without compromising the integrity of its cost estimates. This paper introduces the Brief DATCAP and presents some preliminary findings. Initial feedback from respondents suggests that the Brief DATCAP is understandable, and easier and quicker to complete than the DATCAP. More importantly, preliminary results indicate that cost estimates from the …
Physical Appearance And Earnings: Further Evidence, Michael French
Physical Appearance And Earnings: Further Evidence, Michael French
Michael T. French
The literature contains numerous studies on earnings differentials based on age, race, and gender. Comparatively few studies have examined differences in labour market success related to physical appearance. Using three waves of data collected at two organizations, this paper tested for earnings differentials among workers based on their self-reported appearance. Significant earnings premiums for attractiveness were found for women, but not for men.
Illicit Drug Use, Employment, And Labor Force Participation, Michael French, M. Christopher Roebuck, Pierre Alexandre
Illicit Drug Use, Employment, And Labor Force Participation, Michael French, M. Christopher Roebuck, Pierre Alexandre
Michael T. French
Illicit drug use has declined among the U.S. adult population, but national surveys show the majority of illicit drug users are employed. Concern about workplace productivity, absenteeism, and safety has led many employers to establish employee assistance and drug testing programs. Given the sharp interest in workplace interventions, more information is needed about the relationships between drug use and labor market status. This study estimated the probability of employment and labor force participation for different types of drug users using nationally representative data from the 1997 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Results strongly indicated that chronic drug use was …
Labor Supply Of Poor Residents In Metropolitan Miami, Florida: The Role Of Depression And The Co-Morbid Effects Of Substance Use, Michael T. French, Pierre K. Alexandre
Labor Supply Of Poor Residents In Metropolitan Miami, Florida: The Role Of Depression And The Co-Morbid Effects Of Substance Use, Michael T. French, Pierre K. Alexandre
Michael T. French
BACKGROUND: Depression represents one of the most common behavioral health problems among the workforce in the United States, with about 1 in every 20 employees experiencing this condition. A recent study estimated that in 1990 the economic costs of depressive disorders in the American workplace amounted to as much as $43 billion, with absenteeism alone accounting for $12 billion. Recently, economists have been focusing attention on the relationship between mental health and labor supply, but a lack of quality data sets containing detailed information on mental health and labor market variables represents a significant barrier to rigorous research. AIMS OF …
Using The Drug Abuse Screening Test (Dast-10) To Analyze Health Services Utilization And Cost For Substance Abusers In A Community-Based Setting, Michael T. French, M. Christopher Roebuck, Kerry Anne Mcgeary, Dale D. Chitwood, Clyde B. Mccoy
Using The Drug Abuse Screening Test (Dast-10) To Analyze Health Services Utilization And Cost For Substance Abusers In A Community-Based Setting, Michael T. French, M. Christopher Roebuck, Kerry Anne Mcgeary, Dale D. Chitwood, Clyde B. Mccoy
Michael T. French
The dual purpose of this study was to: (1) determine whether problematic drug users, defined through the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10), exhibited differences in health services utilization and cost relative to a combined group of non-problematic drug users and non-drug users; and (2) assess whether the findings were similar to those for chronic drug users (CDUs) and injecting drug users (IDUs). Results showed that health services utilization and total cost were very similar for problematic drug users defined through quantity-frequency (i.e., CDU, IDU) and diagnostic (i.e., DAST-10) criteria. Findings suggest that quantity/frequency criteria for problematic drug use were reasonable …
Symptoms Of Dependence, Multiple Substance Use, And Labor Market Outcomes, Michael T. French, Michael L. Dennis, Jeremy W. Bray, Gary A. Zarkin
Symptoms Of Dependence, Multiple Substance Use, And Labor Market Outcomes, Michael T. French, Michael L. Dennis, Jeremy W. Bray, Gary A. Zarkin
Michael T. French
The prevalence and costs of alcohol and drug disorders pose a serious social concern for policymakers. In this paper, we use data from the National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) to estimate simple descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) models of the relationship between symptoms of dependence and labor market outcomes for alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and other illicit drugs. For men, we find that substance use with symptoms of dependence is associated with both lower employment rates and fewer hours of work. For women, we find that substance use with symptoms of dependence is associated with lower employment …
The Relationship Between Drug Use And Labor Supply For Young Men, Michael T. French, Gary A. Zarkin, Thomas A. Mroz, Jeremy W. Bray
The Relationship Between Drug Use And Labor Supply For Young Men, Michael T. French, Gary A. Zarkin, Thomas A. Mroz, Jeremy W. Bray
Michael T. French
This paper examines the relationship between young men's hours worked and their use of marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, and other drugs using cross-section data from the 1991 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), a nationally representative survey of the U.S. noninstitutionalized population age 12 and over. Our results indicate that substance use has little effect on the number of hours worked by young men in the past month, with the exception that young men who smoked 1 to 3 marijuana joints in the last month worked 42 more hours than nonusers. To assess the robustness of our 1991 results, …
Does Drug Abuse Treatment Affect Employment And Earnings Of Clients?, Michael T. French, J. Valley Rachal, Henrick J. Harwood, Robert L. Hubbard
Does Drug Abuse Treatment Affect Employment And Earnings Of Clients?, Michael T. French, J. Valley Rachal, Henrick J. Harwood, Robert L. Hubbard
Michael T. French
Drug abuse treatment is an effective way to reduce drug use. Treatment is also intended to promote other positive outcomes such as reduced criminal activity, employment and higher earnings. This study examines the impact of drug abuse treatment on the followup labor market experiences of clients. We conduct a descriptive analysis of labor force status, work effort and earnings one year prior to admission, at admission and one year following discharge. The analysis is performed with data from the Treatment Outcome Prospective Study (TOPS). TOPS is a large scale longitudinal study of over 11,000 individuals admitted to 41 federally funded …