Researchers say that homeless youth who attended drop-in centers that provided a comprehensive intervention program significantly reduced their addiction and mental-health problems and enjoyed increased social stability.

Researchers Natasha Slesnick and Michael Glassman of Ohio State University and Jillian Prestopnik and Robert Meyers of the University of New Mexico studied homeless youths ages 18-24 who used a drop-in center in Albuquerque, N.M. Half received standard treatment (food, a place to rest and the opportunity to meet with case managers), while the others were treated with a "Community Reinforcement Approach" that included 12 individual therapy sessions and four HIV education/skills practice sessions.

The study found that those who completed the latter program demonstrated a 58 percent increase in social stability, compared to only 13 percent for the control group. Alcohol and other drug use among the community-reinforcement group fell 37 percent, compared to 17 percent among the "treatment as usual" group. "Homeless youth are often seen as difficult to engage and difficult to treat," said Slesnick, lead author of the study. "But what this study shows is that we can be successful in helping a group that is often seen as unreachable. We can successfully reduce their alcohol and drug use, and improve their social stability and psychological functioning."

The study was published online in the journal Addictive Behaviors.