Treatment FAQ

what is one of the main challenges to assessing the effectiveness of drug treatment programs?

by Marley Langosh Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

What is the goal of treatment for substance abuse?

In addition to stopping drug abuse, the goal of treatment is to return people to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and community.

Is previous treatment experience associated with recognition of a substance abuse problem?

Previous treatment experience was only associated with recognition of a substance abuse problem. Subjects whose self-identified primary problems were heroin, crack, or marijuana were more likely to identify a problem and to have a support network that encouraged treatment.

What is effective treatment for drug abuse?

Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug abuse. To be effective, treatment must address the individual’s drug abuse and any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems.

What are the barriers to seeking treatment for alcohol and Drug Abuse?

Outpatient alcohol and drug abusers identified inability to share problems with others and stigma as the two major barriers in both groups (Cunningham et al., 1993). In another study, problem drinkers were asked to identify barriers to, as well as reasons for, seeking treatment.

What are some of the challenges in treating addiction disorders?

Relapsing is one of the biggest challenges many addicts in recovery face both during and after rehab. Cravings, stress, anxiety, and old acquaintances can all be potential threats when you're trying to stay sober.

What are some barriers that may get in the way of receiving treatment?

What Are Common Barriers to Treatment ProgressFear.Unclear communication between a therapist and client.Severe symptoms.Substance use.Distractions.

How can we assess the effectiveness of treatment?

The effectiveness of a particular therapeutic approach can be assessed in three ways: client testimonials, providers' perceptions, and empirical research.

What are some barriers to treatment for substance abuse?

These barriers may include:A complicated system of care to treat SUDs. ... Lack of interagency coordination and communication. ... Limited resources and personnel. ... Lack of mental health services. ... Insufficient capacity in hospitals to treat SUDs. ... Transportation barriers. ... Homelessness and substandard housing.More items...

What are barriers to intervention?

The barriers were conceptualized at three levels: health-care provider (HCP), patient, and unit. Commonly mentioned barriers were time constraints and workload (HCP), patient clinical acuity and their perceived 'sick role' (patient), and lack of proper equipment and human resources (unit level).

What are the five major barriers to the scaling up of mental health services?

Barriers to Mental Health Services Scale-Revised (BMHSS-R) Five intrinsic barriers include: help-seeking attitudes; stigma; knowledge and fear of psychotherapy; belief about inability to find a psychotherapist; and belief that depressive symptoms are normal.

Why is it important to evaluate effectiveness of treatment?

Comparing a treatment with nontreatment allows the determination not only of whether an intervention has any efficacy at all but also of whether it has adverse effects. This determination is often an important part of the treatment evaluation process.

What is the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of each treatment provided to each client?

It is important to evaluate the treatment against the consultation to identify whether the treatment achieved the desired outcomes and to what extent it was effective in doing so.

What processes can we use to determine how effective therapy is?

There are three main ways in which treatment effectiveness is measured: the patient's own impression of wellness, the therapist's impression, and some controlled research studies.

What are some challenges that may inhibit a person identified with a co occurring disorder from participating in medication assisted therapies?

Barriers within the mental health systemOrganizational failure to sustain integrated care.Limited support for training staff in co-occurring disorder treatment.Diagnostic and billing restrictions.

What are 3 reasons why someone does not seek treatment for their addiction?

They weren't ready to stop using. ... They couldn't afford it. ... They didn't know where to get treatment. ... They were afraid of what their neighbors might think. ... They were afraid it might affect their job.

What are some of the barriers that youth may encounter when trying to seek help for substance use disorder?

These factors may include:Social Disconnection. Youth may use substances if they don't feel attached to family, school and community. ... Existing Conditions. ... Mental Health and Coping. ... Discrimination.

How many questions are asked in the substance use evaluation?

The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of a substance use disorder. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result.

How should rehab programs be evaluated?

With all this in mind, how can – and should – rehab programs be evaluated? Treatment centers should be judged on the quality of the care they provide, even after treatment, not merely the quantity of clients they see. What former clients have to say, via personal recommendations and testimonials, can say much more about a facility than an impressive but ill-defined “90 percent success rate.”

What is the Scientific American article on relapse?

The Scientific American article on relapse references an earlier SA article on “ do-it-yourself cures ” for addiction , which summarizes a critical problem when considering the various studies and their conflicting messages about treatment success:

What is a better approach to care?

A better approach involves judging the actual quality of care a facility provides, both during and after the formal treatment period.

Is rehab a success story?

But since they finish treatment, it’s enough for the facility to consider this a “success” story. As a result, it’s essential that rehab centers use a different definition of success rather than simply finishing the program.

Is addiction a problem in rehab?

The insidious nature of addiction adds to the problem of defining success in rehab. Some patients simply go through the motions of treatment, doing and saying anything just to graduate from their program, if it means getting back into the outside world where they can resume their drug consumption.

Can a medical professional diagnose substance use disorder?

Disclaimer: Only a medical or clinical professional may diagnose a substance use disorder. This assessment may serve as an indicator of a potential addiction but should not replace a diagnosis from a professional treatment provider.

Why are effectiveness and efficiency studies important?

Good effectiveness and efficiency studies will make this rationing more informed. Good practical guidelines, such as the Therapeutic Guidelines series, are clearly very important and extremely useful. They could be made even more relevant to the patient in front of the doctor, by being less dependent on efficacy studies .

What is reimbursement mechanism for doctors?

The reimbursement mechanism for doctors may mean that they code conditions at the highest severity level.

Is effectiveness the same as effectiveness?

Efficacy is not the same as effectiveness. 2 A treatment is effective if it works in real life in non-ideal circumstances. In real life, medications will be used in doses and frequencies never studied and in patient groups never assessed in the trials.

Do people get screened before being included in a study?

Many people may be screened before a few are chosen to be included in a study, yet the results of the study will be applied to the very people who were excluded. The population studied in trials tends to be young, male, white, suffering from a single condition and using a single treatment.

Can effectiveness be measured in controlled trials?

Effectiveness cannot be measured in controlled trials, because the act of inclusion into a study is a distortion of usual practice.

How many recommendations are there for drug misuse?

Furthermore, implementing the more than 65 of our recommendations since fiscal year 2015 related to preventing, responding to, and recovering from drug misuse could serve to help agencies continue to address these challenges. See the complete list of our recommendations as a workbook file (XLSX, 37KB) or comma-separated values file (CSV, 77KB). Our findings and recommendations identify opportunities to strengthen the federal government’s efforts to address this persistent and increasing problem. For example:

How has drug misuse increased over the past 2 decades?

This has resulted in significant loss of life and harmful effects to society and the economy , including billions of dollars in costs.

What is the ONDCP's responsibility?

ONDCP’s responsibility to develop the National Drug Control Strategy offers the office an important opportunity to help prioritize, coordinate, and measure key efforts to address the drug crisis. Our work has shown that ONDCP can improve its efforts to develop a National Drug Control Strategy that meets statutory requirements and effectively coordinates national efforts to address drug misuse. In 2017 and 2018, as rates of drug misuse and overdose deaths continued to worsen, ONDCP lacked a statutorily required National Drug Control Strategy. ONDCP produced the National Drug Control Strategy in 2019 and 2020, but neither iteration fully addressed all statutory requirements. The federal government invests billions of dollars each year in programs spanning over a dozen agencies. Therefore, the development and implementation of a comprehensive Strategy is critical to guiding and ensuring the effectiveness of federal activities to address drug misuse.

Why is ONDCP important?

As we reported in March 2020 when we identified drug misuse as a high-risk issue, it is important for the federal government to coordinate among different levels of government and across issue areas.

How can we address the drug misuse crisis?

Addressing the drug misuse crisis also requires the capacity to address the effects of drug misuse on individuals and society. For example, providing clearer direction on the role of states and use of grant funding in the nation’s workforce system to address the employment and training needs of those affected by substance use disorders could help ensure the economic well-being of communities affected by drug misuse.

What is the DOL 2020 recommendation?

In May 2020, we recommended that DOL share information from targeted grantees with all state workforce agencies, tribal governments, and outlying areas regarding lessons learned and promising practices. DOL agreed with our recommendation and is creating resources that are available to all states.

What is the 2020 ONDCP?

The 2020 Strategy included a plan to expand treatment of substance use disorders, which is required to identify unmet treatment needs, and a strategy for closing the gap between available and needed treatment, among other things. Additionally, the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget and Performance Summary, which ONDCP issued in June 2020 as a companion document to the Strategy, took further steps to address statutory requirements for identifying resources needed to expand treatment of substance use disorders.

Why do we need substance abuse screening?

The goal of substance abuse screening is to identify women who have or are developing alcohol- or drug-related problems. Routinely, women are less likely than men to be identified as having substance abuse problems (Buchsbaum et al. 1993); yet, they are more likely to exhibit significant health problems after consuming fewer substances in a shorter period of time.

Why is understanding the extent and nature of a woman's substance use disorder and its interaction with other life areas important?

Understanding the extent and nature of a woman’s substance use disorder and its interaction with other life areas is essential for careful diagnosis, appropriate case management, and successful treatment.

What should providers use to ensure that important information is obtained?

To ensure that important information is obtained, providers should use standardized screening and assessment instruments and interview protocols, some of which have been studied for their sensitivity, validity, and accuracy in identifying problems with women.

How does acculturation affect screening and assessment?

Acculturation level may affect screening and assessment results. The counselor may need to replace standard screening and assessment approaches with an in-depth discussion with the client and perhaps family members to understand substance use from the client's personal and cultural points of view. The migration experience needs to be assessed; some immigrants may have experienced trauma in their countries of origin and will need a sensitive trauma assessment.

What is the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test?

The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT; Babor and Grant 1989) is a widely used screening tool that is reproduced with guidelines and scoring instructions in TIP 26 Substance Abuse Among Older Adults(CSAT 1998d). The AUDIT is effective in identifying heavy drinking among nonpregnant women (Bradley et al. 1998c). It consists of 10 questions that were highly correlated with hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption. This instrument can be given as a self-administered test, or the questions can be read aloud. The AUDIT takes about 2 minutes to administer. Note: Question 3, concerning binge drinking, should be revised for women to refer to having 4 (not 6) or more drinks on one occasion.

What is the purpose of screening?

The purpose of screening is to determine whether a woman needs assessment. The purpose of assessment is to gather the detailed information needed for a treatment plan that meets the individual needs of the woman. Many standardized instruments and interview protocols are available to help counselors perform appropriate screening and assessment for women.

What is the assessment section?

The assessment section includes general principles for assessing women, the scope and structure of assessment interviews, and selected instruments. Finally, other considerations that apply to screening and assessment are discussed, including women's strengths, coping styles, and spirituality.

What are some measures that could help address the drug problem?

Specific measures that could help address the drug problem include providing legally prescribed heroin or substitute opiates for heroin addicts and raising the alcohol tax.

What is the best approach to drug policy?

They add that the best approach our society could take would be to expand the prevention, treatment, and harm reduction approaches discussed earlier; because drugs will always be with us, our society should do what it can to minimize the many harms that drugs cause. Thus drug education prevention and drug treatment programs should be expanded, sterile needles should be made available for drug addicts who inject their drugs, and drug courts should be used for a greater number of drug offenders.

Why is there no optimism in the chapter on the drug problem?

The reason for this lack of optimism is that what’s past is prologue: People have enthusiastically used drugs since prehistoric times and show no signs of reducing their drug use. Many and perhaps most scholars think the legal war on drugs has had little, if any, impact on drug use (Walker, 2011), and many scholars recognize that this war brought with it the many disadvantages cited in the previous section. As Kleiman et al. (2011, p. xvi) observe, “Our current drug policies allow avoidable harm by their ineffectiveness and create needless suffering by their excesses.”

How many people are arrested for drug possession each year?

More generally, these experts say, it makes little sense to arrest more than 1.3 million people each year for drug possession and to put many of them in jail or prison. We do not arrest and imprison alcoholics and cigarette smokers; instead we try to offer them various kinds of help, and we should do the same for people who are addicted to other kinds of drugs. If arrest and imprisonment must continue, these measures should be reserved for sellers of large quantities of illegal drugs, not for the people who use the drugs or for those who sell only small quantities. When low-level drug dealers are imprisoned, they are simply replaced on the street by new dealers. Providing low-level dealers with alternative sentencing would reduce the number of imprisoned dealers over time by several hundred thousand annually without making illegal drugs more available.

How many members are on the Global Commission on Drug Policy?

In 2011, the Global Commission on Drug Policy issued a major report on the world’s antidrug efforts. The commission comprised nineteen members, including a former United Nations secretary general, a former US secretary of state, a former chair of the US Federal Reserve, and former presidents or prime ministers of Brazil, Colombia, Greece, Mexico, ...

How much would a tripling of the alcohol tax reduce?

(2011), tripling the alcohol tax would especially reduce drinking by heavy drinkers and by minors, and it would reduce the number of homicides by 1,000 annually and the number of motor vehicle accidents by 2,000 annually. The new tax money could also help fund alcohol treatment and prevention programs. “In the entire field of drug-abuse control,” Kleiman et al. (2011, p. 204) write, “there is no bargain as attractive as a higher alcohol tax.”

Should former drug dealers be allowed to vote?

They should have full access to public housing, educational loans, and other benefits, and they should be allowed to vote in states that now do not let them vote.

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