Psychiatric disorders such as drug addiction represent one of the biggest challenges to society. This article reviews clinical and basic science research to illustrate how developments in research methodology have enabled neuroscientists to understand more about the brain mechanisms involved in addiction biology. Treating addiction represents a…

Tests of addiction treatments seldom reveal where treatment exercises its effect (i.e., promoting initial abstinence, preventing lapses, and/or impeding progression from lapse to relapse). The authors illustrate analyses distinguishing effects on these milestones in a randomized trial of high-dose nicotine patch (35 mg; n = 188) versus placebo (n…

Examined role of spirituality in process of recovery from chemical dependency among 50 participants in 28-day recovery program. Results indicated trend toward use of prayer or meditation by those abstaining from use of mind-altering chemicals. Findings suggest that associations between recovery and use of prayer or meditation is important. (NB)

This study reports on the effects of having a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on treatment outcomes among substance abusing men and women (N = 2,434) in a national, multisite study of drug treatment outcomes. A history of CSA was reported by 27.2% of the women and 9.2% of the men. Controlling for gender, compared to patients without CSA,…

In 1987, the state of Washington created a program--the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment and Support Act (ADATSA)--to treat adults addicted to alcohol or other drugs. This paper sows the results of a four-and-a-half year follow-up study of clients receiving treatment and reviews the effectiveness of ADATSA. Whereas the immediate goal of the…

This paper discusses several models for treating chemical dependency in individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. It begins by describing the 12-step model, a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to the treatment of addiction which is abstinence oriented and based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. This model includes group…