Treatment outcome research has provided evidence that other treatments may help reduce drinking among recovering alcoholics. These include behavioral training such as stress management therapy, assertiveness and communication skills training, behavioral self-control training, and behavioral marital therapy.
Full Answer
What's new in alcoholism treatment outcome evaluation?
It is an exciting time to conduct alcoholism treatment outcome evaluation. Advancements in statistical software for personal computers, for example, have dramatically increased the type and complexity of techniques available to the evaluator.
What are the best studies of alcoholism treatment outcome?
One of the best studies of alcoholism treatment outcome was conducted by the Rand Corporation in the late 1970s [ 10 ]. Participants were patients who attended inpatient or outpatient treatment at centers across the United States.
Should alcohol consumption be a criteria for judging treatment outcome?
There is a historical appreciation of the importance of alcohol consumption as a criterion for judging treatment outcome, and most would regard assessment of outcome without such a measure as inadequate.
How effective is treatment for alcohol addiction?
Overall, a median of only 3% of the drinking outcome at follow-up could be attributed to treatment. However this effect appeared to be present at week one before most of the treatment had been delivered. The zero treatment dropout group showed great improvement, achieving a mean of 72 percent days abstinent at follow-up.
What is a treatment outcome?
Treatment outcome research was defined by Mowrer (1953) as a situation whereby the “emphasis is upon measuring significant aspects of personality before and after treatment and noting the nature and extent of the resulting changes” (p. 4).
What is considered the most effective treatment for alcohol use disorder?
Working to stop alcohol use to improve quality of life is the main treatment goal. Treatment for alcohol use disorder may include: Detox and withdrawal. Treatment may begin with a program of detoxification — withdrawal that's medically managed.
What are 3 strategies often used to treat addiction?
There are many options that have been successful in treating drug addiction, including:behavioral counseling.medication.medical devices and applications used to treat withdrawal symptoms or deliver skills training.evaluation and treatment for co-occurring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.More items...•
What are the four steps involved in recovery from addiction?
The four stages of treatment are:Treatment initiation.Early abstinence.Maintaining abstinence.Advanced recovery.
What are the solutions of alcoholism?
Options for TreatmentBehavioral Treatments. Behavioral treatments are aimed at changing drinking behavior through counseling. ... Medications. ... Mutual-Support Groups. ... Current NIAAA Research—Leading to Future Breakthroughs. ... Mental Health Issues and Alcohol Use Disorder.
How is the CDT result helpful?
The CDT test is a better indicator of binge drinking or daily heavy drinking (four or more drinks per day) than the other two tests. 2 It can even help determine if a person with alcohol use disorder has had a relapse.
What is a treatment plan for substance abuse?
A substance abuse treatment plan is an individualized, written document that details a client's goals and objectives, the steps need to achieve those, and a timeline for treatment. These plans are mutually agreed upon with the client and the clinician.
What is the first step in treating a drug abuse problem?
Detoxification is normally the first step in treatment. This involves clearing a substance from the body and limiting withdrawal reactions. In 80 percent of cases, a treatment clinic will use medications to reduce withdrawal symptoms, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
What is typically the first step in the substance abuse treatment process?
Typically, the first step in treatment and recovery from an addiction is known as detoxification. Which involves clearing the substance from the body and limiting withdrawal reactions – in many cases, detoxification treatment will involve medications to reduce and mitigate the withdrawal symptoms.
What is the basic concept of a recovery model?
The recovery model aims to help people with mental illnesses and distress to look beyond mere survival and existence. [4,5,6] It encourages them to move forward and set new goals. It supports the view that they should get on with their lives, do things and develop relationships that give their lives meaning.
What are the 12 principles of recovery?
The 12 spiritual principles of recovery are as follows: acceptance, hope, faith, courage, honesty, patience, humility, willingness, brotherly-love, integrity, self-discipline, and service.
What are the core principles of the recovery model?
Holistic: Recovery focuses on people's entire lives, including mind, body, spirit and community. Nonlinear: Recovery isn't a step-by-step process but one based on continual growth, occasional setbacks and learning from experience. Strengths-based: Recovery builds on people's strengths.
Addiction Treatment Outcome Evaluation
Although there are hundreds of published studies on what treatment methods are most (and least) effective in treating alcohol use disorders, this literature is not very accessible to practicing clinicians.
Studies and Articles on Addiction Treatment Outcome Evaluation
Miller, W. R., & Hester, R. K. (1980). Treating the problem drinker: Modern approaches. In W. R. Miller (Ed.), The addictive behaviors: Treatment of alcoholism, drug abuse, smoking and obesity (pp. 11-141). Oxford: Pergamon Press.
What is the purpose of individual based outcome evaluation?
These examples illustrate the major purposes of individual–based outcome evaluation, namely (1) therapeutic feedback to the client or therapist and/or (2) feedback to improve delivery of services.
When an outcome is measured, is it important?
Clearly, when an outcome is measured can be as important a decision as what is measured . In the case of severity of medical problems, for example, evaluation of pre–post changes using intake and 6–month data would lead to the erroneous conclusion that the intervention led to an increase in medical severity.
How long after cessation of treatment should posttreatment be done?
To make this determination, it is recommended that posttreatment assessment be done by an independent interviewer, and that the assessment be conducted at least 3 months after the cessation of treatment. Although it may not be feasible to have independent interviewers, such a practice is desired.
Is outcome evaluation mandated?
It is also a critical time for doing rigorous outcome evaluation. In many States evaluation is now legislatively mandated, with future program appropriations tied to demonstration of treatment effectiveness.
Is alcohol consumption a criterion for judging treatment outcome?
There is a historical appreciation of the importance of alcohol consumption as a criterion for judging treatment outcome, and most would regard assessment of outcome without such a measure as inadequate. There is less agreement, however, about the need to assess nondrinking domains to define outcome, and even less consensus about which domains may be particularly relevant. The recent attention to harm reduction models for evaluating outcome, which emphasize not the reduction of alcohol consumption per se but instead decreases in alcohol–related problems and risk–taking behaviors, has led to renewed interest in the issue of life functioning outcomes more generally.
How long does it take to improve drinking?
The effective improvement in drinking was instantaneous, evident at week 1. The improvement was maintained at the same approximate level for the 12 weeks of scheduled treatment.
What is the belief in addiction treatment?
A fundamental belief of addiction treatment is that therapy is effective . Addiction counselors are encouraged to use methods that have been shown to be effective in high quality clinical trials [ 1 ]. Three of the best of those methods were selected for Project MATCH, a large multicenter US trial designed to match the most effective treatment to individual patient characteristics. The criteria used to select the three treatments used in MATCH included the following: demonstrated clinical effectiveness; applicability to existing treatment programs and client populations, and distinctiveness from each other [ 2 ].
Is psychosocial therapy effective for alcoholism?
The effectiveness of psychosocial therapy for alcoholism is being challenged in a number of different ways. Evidence is accumulating that extensive therapy may be no more effective that brief intervention [ 1, 15 ]. Brief interventions are minimal types of therapies that can consist of simple expressions of concern about drinking delivered by a MD in a hospital trauma unit. There is a growing literature on "natural recovery" showing that many, if not most, individuals with serious alcohol consumption problems are able to recover without treatment [ 16 ]. A recently published meta-analysis [ 17] reported a significant improvement in untreated alcoholics enrolled in clinical trials. And there have been a few published trials that have concluded that therapy is not particularly effective [ 18, 19 ].
The Value of Reliable Measures
Goals of Outcome Evaluation
- The basic question in outcome evaluation is whether, and as the result of alcohol treatment exposure, a behavioral change has occurred. This change often refers to a reduction or cessation of alcohol consumption, although “harm reduction” models may place equal importance on changes in alcohol–related problems and high–risk–related behaviors. Summa...
Relevant Measures of Change
- There is a historical appreciation of the importance of alcohol consumption as a criterion for judging treatment outcome, and most would regard assessment of outcome without such a measure as inadequate. There is less agreement, however, about the need to assess nondrinking domains to define outcome, and even less consensus about which domains may be particularly …