Drug Abuse Treatment “Models”: Meehl's Lament Revisited

Abstract

Recalling the extensive discussions by Paul E. Meehl concerning the etiology of schizophrenia, the argument is made that the current practice by mental health professionals of invoking the postulated genetic component of chemical dependency as having implications for treatment is uninformed and ultimately — assuming that one of the goals of the chemical dependency treatment field is to improve treatment methods — counterproductive.