Background: Distance and travel time are barriers to attending and completing drug and alcohol treatment. Few studies have examined proximity to treatment in relation to long-term outcomes.
Objectives: Aims were to examine effects of distance to treatment on alcohol consumption in the year after treatment intake; assess moderation of distance effects by treatment type; and test mediators of effects of distance to treatment on later alcohol use.
Methods: Data from clients in inpatient and outpatient alcohol treatment programs in California (n=560) were used in linear regression models.
Results: There was a significant interaction between treatment type and distance on later drinking, with a significant positive association of distance to treatment with alcohol use after treatment for inpatient clients only. Among inpatient clients, none of the mediators significantly explained the relationship between a longer distance to treatment and greater subsequent alcohol use.
Conclusion: Inpatient clients may benefit from customized post-treatment recommendations to identify recovery resources near home.
Keywords: alcohol treatment; geographic availability; treatment outcomes.