title: Enhancing the treatment attendance of mentally ill chemical abusers.
abstract: Patients dually-diagnosed with mental illness and chemical abuse often comply poorly with treatment. The present study tested the hypothesis that attendance at a day treatment program could be increased by offering modest incentives for regular participation. Fifty-three patients, enrolled in a voluntary day treatment program for the mentally ill chemical abuser, were studied for twelve weeks. Attendance was monitored for (a) 4 weeks prior to the incentive intervention; (b) 4 weeks during which an incentive was provided for regular attendance; and (c) 4 weeks following the incentive. The incentive consisted of modest rewards (e.g., coupons from a local restaurant) offered at the end of the week to all patients who attended the program for at least 5 hours a day on at least 3 days in a given week. The results demonstrated that modest incentives can enhance the attendance patterns of the dually-diagnosed.
authors.affiliation: Richard H. Hutchings Psychiatric Center.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Carey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014040:Token Economy
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs