An autobiographical, narrative art therapy approach to treat drug addiction was co-developed at the Methadone Clinic of Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. The 10-session art therapy intervention included a group of 7 men. The protocol, as illustrated with a case example, suggests that it could help resolve deep-seated pain,…

New developments in the treatment of mothers and infants affected by opioid addiction point to the promising effects of interventions that adopt a developmental perspective, occur concurrently with addiction treatment, and target the parent-infant relationship as early as possible. In this article, the authors provide general guidelines for…

Considerable evidence suggests that personality traits may be changeable, raising the possibility that personality traits most linked to health problems can be modified with intervention. A growing body of research suggests that problematic personality traits may be altered with behavioral intervention using a bottom-up approach. That is, by…

Many sexuality education interventions focusing on determinants such as attitudes, knowledge, and skills have shown meager impact on sexual behavior. In addition, these determinants have been developed and evaluated for mixed gender or female-only priority populations. More specifically, sexuality education interventions have not been designed…

This policy commentary addresses a significant access to care issue that faces methadone maintenance patients seeking residential treatment in the United States. Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) has demonstrated strong efficacy in the outpatient treatment of opiate dependence. However, many opiate dependent patients are also in need of more…

This article highlights the problem of substance use and abuse among adolescents and discusses the important role of school leaders in addressing this problem. Drug and alcohol use among adolescents is a significant and serious problem. In fact, an alarmingly high number of students report that they have used drugs or alcohol. Substance use and…

There is an increasing demand for social work students to be prepared to work with a wide range of involuntary groups including the more traditional court-ordered programs in domestic abuse and chemical dependency, as well as groups in mental health and schools that provide outreach to high-risk client populations. This paper introduces three…

The chronic and relapsing nature of substance abuse points to the need for continuing care after a primary phase of treatment. This article reviews the economic studies of continuing care, discusses research gaps, highlights some of the challenges of conducting rigorous economic evaluations of continuing care, and offers research guidelines and…

Presents a sociologically grounded framework for drug treatment, positing three social processes: 1) dissociation from the addict lifestyle and subculture, involving sacrifice, renunciation and investment; 2) association with the treatment program and its goals, involving communion, mortification, and transcendence; and 3) a reintegration process…

Describes a program at Texas Tech University which offers scholarships to 36 recovering drug or alcohol addicts each semester as part of its Center for the Study of Addiction which trains addiction counselors. Notes the special admissions process for these students and their apparent success in the program. (DB)

This article describes a Web-based therapeutic workplace intervention designed to promote heroin and cocaine abstinence and train and employ participants as data entry operators. Patients are paid to participate in training and then to perform data entry jobs in a therapeutic workplace business. Salary is linked to abstinence by requiring patients…

The effects of problems with alcohol and other drugs are sometimes subtle, sometimes extravagant, and always debilitating. The tendency for individuals to deny their own problems makes the need for firm and compassionate colleagues more important. Intervention is a way of bringing sympathetic help to a colleague in distress. (MLW)

Reviews clinical issues relating to addiction (particularly cocaine) and family systems, outlining their impact on developmental and behavioral outcomes for children. Preliminary studies of children prenatally exposed to cocaine suggests the majority are of low-average to average intelligence, but suffer from distractibility, impulsivity,…

Although substance abuse affects the family, the children of substance abusers suffer the most. When parents are unable to care for their children because of their untreated addiction, the children are at risk for social and health problems that include alcohol and drug use, delinquency, depression, and poor school performance. One approach to…

This monograph is designed to help scientists, decision makers, and service providers develop a deeper understanding of the role families and culture play in the prevention of alcohol and other drug abuse in Hispanic/Latino American populations. It also provides information on models of service delivery that are directed at strengthening families…