An instrument for assessing progress in substance use disorder treatment: a pilot study of initial reliability and factor structure of the Treatment Progress Assessment-8

Abstract

New instruments are needed to assist substance use disorder (SUD) clinics in monitoring client treatment progress. This paper describes the development of an 8-item monitoring tool and results from a pilot to understand the tool’s structure and reliability. 393 clients completed the tool upon treatment entry. A factor analysis resulted in a 2-factor solution: SUD symptoms and treatment progress. Multiple regression analyses showed that clients in inpatient detoxification had lower scores than those in less intensive levels of care. Acceptable internal consistency reliability was found. This study shows promise for the tool and sets the stage for future validation work.

Keywords:

• Substance use disorder treatment
• treatment progress assessment
• treatment quality

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the SUD treatment programs and clients that participated in the pilot.

Additional information

Funding

The preparation of this paper was supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA: Grant no. # H79TI081718). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of SAMHSA.