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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether European and American therapeutic communities (TCs) for addiction, both traditional and modified, share a common perspective on what is essential in treatment using the Survey of Essential Elements Questionnaire (SEEQ). The European sample (N = 19) was gathered in 2009. For the American sample (N = 19), we used previously published research data. Despite comparable perspectives, European traditional TCs (N = 11) scored significantly higher than their American predecessors (N = 11) on four SEEQ domains. Cluster differences were more pronounced in Europe than in America.
RÉSUMÉ
Eléments essentiels du traitement: Une étude comparative entre des communautés thérapeutiques européennes et américaines pour des toxicomanes
Le but de cette étude était d'enquêter sur les communautés thérapeutiques (CT) européennes et américaines, tant taditionnelles que adaptées, pour examiner si elles partageaient une perspective commune sur ce qui est essentiel dans le traitement des toxicomanes en utilisant le ‘ Questionnaire d'Enquête des Éléments Essentiels’ (SEEQ). L’échantillon européen (N = 19) a été recueilli en 2009. Pour l’échantillon américain (N = 19) des données de recherche publiées précédemment ont été utilisées. Malgré des perspectives comparables, les CT traditionnelles européennes (N = 11) avaient des scores significativement plus élevés que leurs prédécesseurs américains (N = 11) sur 4 domaines du questionnaire SEEQ. Les différences entre les CT traditionnelles et adaptées étaient plus prononcées en Europe qu'en Amérique.
RESUMEN
Elementos fundamentales del tratamiento: un estudio comparado entre las comunidades terapeúticas para el tratamiento de las adicciones en Europa y Estados Unidos
El objetivo de este estudio es investigar si las comunidades terapéuticas americanas y europeas para el tratamiento de las adicciones, tanto las tradicionales como las modificadas, comparten una perspectiva común sobre lo que es esencial en el tratamiento, utilizando para ello el cuestionario sobre “Elementos Esenciales” (SEEK). La muestra europea (N = 19) se recogió en el 2009. Para la muestra americana (N = 19) se utilizaron los datos de una investigación anterior, ya publicados. A pesar de perspectivas similares, las comunidades europeas tradicionales (N = 11) tienen una puntuación considerablemente más alta que sus precursoras americanas (N = 11) sobre cuatro áreas del SEEK. Las diferencias entre comunidades tradicionales y modificadas eran más pronunciadas en Europa que en América.
THE AUTHORS
Ilse Goethals, M.Ed., is assistant and researcher at the Ghent University, Department of Special Education. She has coauthored publications on Life Space Crisis Intervention in residential settings for adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders. For her Ph.D., she is currently investigating the impact of treatment processes on retention of substance abusers in therapeutic communities.
Veerle Soyez, Ph.D., is assistant professor and researcher at the Ghent University, Department of Special Education. Her research activities have mainly focused on the social networks and family of substance misusers in treatment. For her Ph.D. study, she investigated how social networks influence retention in and success after therapeutic community treatment. Dr. Soyez is also engaged in research concerning stress and coping in family members of substance users. Currently, she is coinvestigator in projects exploring the substance use and misuse for persons with an intellectual disability and substance misuse in high-risk adolescents. Finally she collaborates in the development of screening and assessment instruments and protocols. Dr. Soyez has authored and coauthored several publications on previous themes.
Gerald Melnick, Ph.D., is a principal investigator at the center for the Integration of Research Practice at the National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., New York. He specializes in the development of instruments that measure the effects of various research activities. At present, Dr. Melnick is engaged in programmatic research to evaluate the effectiveness of prison- and community-based substance abuse treatment programs. He is investigating the role of organizational variables in substance abuse treatment efficacy, and is developing additional instruments to assess the use of therapeutic community treatment elements. Dr Melnick is also making substantial contributions to criminal justice studies.
George De Leon, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of substance abuse and acknowledged as the leading authority on treatment and research in therapeutic communities. He is the founder of the Center for Therapeutic Community Research and Science Director of the Behavioral Science Training Program at the National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. He is also clinical professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine. Dr. De Leon has published over 170 scientific papers and chapters, has authored and edited seven books and monographs and has produced 6 DVDs on TC research, theory and practice as well as recovery stages. He serves as consulting editor to several national and international journals.
Eric Broekaert, Prof., is a professor in special education (orthopedagogy) at the Ghent University Belgium. He has a long experience in the field of substance abuse treatment and research, both nationally and internationally. Prof. Broekaert founded the first TC (‘De Kiem”) in Belgium. He is the Chairman of the Orthopedagogical Observation and Treatment Centre, a school for children with emotional and behavioral problems. He is also Chairman of the European Workshop on Drug Policy Oriented Research and cofounder and Honorary Vice President of the European Federation of Therapeutic Communities. He is actively involved in a variety of national and international research projects on Substance Abuse Treatment. He has authored numerous scientific publications and is coeditor of the Therapeutic Communities—The International Journal for Therapeutic and Supportive Organizations.