Follow-up at a Dutch addiction hospital and effectiveness of therapeutic community treatment.
This paper reports on inpatient treatment of addicts. Attention is paid to the Therapeutic Community (TC) model employed with alcoholics. A sample of 881 patients was assessed at intake and was followed up. The results demonstrate that the patients improved on a variety of outcome measures. Some associations were found between patient variables and improvement. Treatment variables predicting a positive outcome were sustained treatment in a TC and attending AA meetings. The relative efficacy of TCs, originally created by drug users, holds for alcoholics as well. It is concluded that an important precondition to a positive treatment outcome is the continuity of the treatment process. Pursuing that continuity seems to be an excellent mediate goal for both addicts and treatment personnel.
Nieuw Hoog-Hullen, Eelde, The Netherlands.
J C
JC
van de Velde
G E
GE
Schaap
H
H
Land
D000041:Absenteeism; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000628:therapy; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012114:Residential Treatment / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D013808:Therapeutic Community; D016896:Treatment Outcome