Effectiveness of pretreatment interim support group attendance in facilitating treatment enrollment among methamphetamine abusers.
Decreasing state and federal budgets have led to shortages in public health funding for treatment programs to aid long-term users in recovery from methamphetamine abuse. These shortages have led to client "waiting lists" for government-subsidized treatment. Many of these "waiting list" individuals fail to show up for treatment when it is scheduled. The current study investigates the efficacy of "interim support groups" as a means of encouraging methamphetamine abusers to begin treatment programs (defined as attendance on the first day of treatment). A logistic regression revealed that interim group attendance predicted whether a methamphetamine abuser would show up for treatment. These results are discussed in terms of both the value of interim groups in facilitating treatment adherence and the role pretreatment support groups can play in facilitating a methamphetamine abuser's determination to engage in treatment.
Ravarino
Jonathan M
JM
Department of Educational Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA. jonathanravarino@yahoo.com
Gardner
Michael K
MK
Hill
Robert D
RD
Lundberg
Kelly
K
D000328:Adult; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D013997:Time Factors; D014850:Waiting Lists
D008694:Methamphetamine