Study Finds Long-Term Treatment Best for TeensJuly 16, 2001
Research Summary
A study that evaluated addiction-treatment outcomes for adolescents found that community-based treatment programs are effective, according to a July 12 press release from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).The first large-scale study of its kinds found that community-based treatment programs reduce alcohol and other drug use among adolescents, improve school performance, and lower involvement with the criminal-justice system
For the study, Dr. Yih-Ing Hser and colleagues at the University of California - Los Angeles evaluated the treatment outcomes of 1,200 adolescents, ranging in age from 11 to 18, enrolled in one of 23 community-based treatment programs in Pittsburgh, Pa.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Chicago, Ill.; and Portland, Ore.
The researchers compared a variety of treatment programs, including residential, outpatient drug-free, and short-term inpatient. The study found that longer stays in treatment provided the best results: lower drug use and lower rates of arrest following treatment.
"Community-based drug treatment programs do work for adolescents," said Dr. Hser. "But in order to maximize their therapeutic benefits, we need to devise strategies specific to adolescents to improve retention and completion of the programs."
The study is published in the July issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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