Citation

Scott CK, Foss MA, Dennis ML. Eval. Program Plann. 2003; 26(3): 287-295.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0149-7189(03)00033-8

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

For many individuals substance use is a chronic, relapsing conditions that can last for decades and require multiple treatment episodes. The study objectives were to (a) explore the relationships between initial severity, participant characteristics, treatment, recovery environment and initial and long-term response to treatment and (b) illustrate the need for long-term evaluation over multiple episodes of care. Data were collected from 1054 adults seeking publicly funded substance abuse treatment. The final path analysis fit the data well (CFI=0.99, RMSEA=0.043). The effects of the initial treatment on long-term outcomes were entirely mediated by the initial response to treatment, participation in aftercare and 12-step support groups. This suggests the importance of evaluating outcomes in the context of (a) multiple episodes of care and (b) the extent to which a given episode of care produces initial changes in behavior and participation in a supportive recovery environment.