["Treatment instead of punishment"--how a theory is put into practice, based on evaluation of patients at an outpatient drug treatment center (in Budapest)].
BACKGROUND
An amendment to the 1993 law allowed illegal substance users to participate in "treatment alternative to prison" ("quasi compulsory treatment") in Hungary. The law was further modified in 2003, allowing a wider range of users to enter the programme.


OBJECTIVE
To examine how the theory of quasi compulsory treatment was put into practice in a drug treatment centre located in Budapest in the period between 2001 and 2005. Are they illegal substance users with real treatment demand who enter the treatment system and are target groups with real treatment demand reached?


METHODS
The authors analysed the Addiction Severity Index-based data of a total of 628 illegal substance users who were under treatment in a drug treatment centre in Budapest between 2001 and 2005. The composite scores of users who were and who were not under quasi compulsory treatment were analysed through cluster analysis and Student's T-statistics.


RESULTS
The proportion of users entering quasi compulsory treatment significantly increased from 24% to 72.6% after 2003. There was a clearly separable subgroup (50% of the total client population) which had no treatment demand. Following 2003, users under quasi compulsory substance abuse treatment make up 60% of this sub-group without real treatment demand.


CONCLUSIONS
The institution of "treatment alternative to prison" needs to be reconsidered.
Rácz
József
J
Magyar Tudományos Akadémia Pszichológiai Kutatóintézet Budapest. raczj@mtapi.hu
Melles
Katalin
K
Márványkövi
Ferenc
F
Lencse
Menyhért
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D007880:Legislation, Drug; D008297:Male; D011678:Punishment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*