Research Paper on "Substance Abuse Treatment Programs"

Research Paper 4 pages (1049 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Substance Abuse Programs

Illicit drug abuse, prescription drug abuse and addiction, and alcoholism are all significant contemporary social problems. All of those problems involve aspects or combinations of behavioral, physiological, or psychological dependence (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008). Some of the most effective interventions and treatments for drug and alcohol dependence involve organized programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and other similar anonymous group-oriented program formats. While various different types have proven successful, the most common and studied form is the Twelve Step Model first introduced shortly before the Second World War (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008).

Types of Substance Abuse Programs

The modern treatment of substance abuse includes voluntary and mandatory in-patient facilities, so-called "halfway" houses, group therapy-type meeting-based programs, sponsor support networks, and various forms of individual counseling or psychological therapy (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008; Hajema, Knobbed, & Drop, 1999). In general, all of them have been implemented successfully; all of them have also failed in many instances as well. In that regard, the most significant predictor of success is the accuracy of the psychological assessment and assignment to the type of substance abuse programmatic approach that best corresponds to each individual patient's needs (Hajema, Knobbed, & Drop, 1999).

In the United States, substance abuse program participation is strictly voluntary with the exception of three situations: (1) Individuals determined by professional psychological evaluation to pose substantial risks of danger to themselves or to others may be confined to mental health facilities pursuant to applicable state and federal law; (2) Individuals already in the custody of the state in connection with criminal charges or convictions may be required to participate in mandatory substance abuse programs; (3) Individuals released from penal custody may be required to attend mandatory substance abuse counseling as conditions of their conditions of probation or parole (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008).

Voluntary participation in substance abuse programs may consist of full service live-in rehabilitation centers or regular group meetings in a community center environment under anonymous pseudonyms. Naturally, the live-in programs offer much more comprehensive care and support. In this setting, as in others, the most effective results have been documented in connection with the Twelve-Step therapeutic approach (McCoy, Metsch, & Chitwood, 2001). Typically, they may include private psychological counseling, group therapy, fitness, wellness, and nutritional support. Simpler Twelve Step Programs such as the traditional AA and NA models also emphasize the Twelve Step approach but on a much more flexible basis and voluntary attendance (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008; Hajema, Knobbed, & Drop, 1999).

Despite their fundamental differences, they share similar predictors of success: namely, attitude of patients toward and readiness for treatment, psychological acceptance of the need for treatment, seriousness of the problem, and the availability of social support networks outside of the program (Appel, Ellison, Jansky, et al., 2004; Hajema, Knobbed, & Drop, 1999; McCoy, Metsch, & Chitwood, 2001).

The Theoretical Bases of Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

The traditional Twelve Step model of substance abuse treatment is the most common form of substance abuse programs that apply the disease model of substance abuse and dependence (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008). Because it has always emphasized the spiritual requirement of… READ MORE

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