The roles of hope and coping in entering and completing drug treatment

The roles of hope and coping style as predictors of volunteering for and completing drug treatment were investigated. Federal inmates who chose to enter a residential drug treatment program and inmates who did not choose to participate in drug treatment served as subjects. Significant findings were that hope predicted completion of treatment for male subjects, with supporting evidence found to suggest that coping is an important mediator in this relationship. Contrary to predictions, higher hope was negatively associated with treatment completion for the female sample. Higher-hope subjects were also less likely to enter drug treatment than lower-hope subjects, and problem-solving coping did not appear to moderate this relationship. Results are discussed in terms of the differences observed between male and female subjects and how different covariates may interact to either offset or enhance the effects of hope on entering and completing drug treatment.