This project assesses the feasibility of establishing a substance abuse treatment program that provides services to women and their children in the Morongo Basin area of the California Desert.

This project was done with the vision that it would simplify and improve outpatient treatment of substance abusers through a rehabilitation software program with 24-7 access availability. By developing an easy-to-use interface for out-patient substance abuse patients, they along with their counselors, administrators and insurance agencies, will be able to facilitate continuous communication during the course of a patient's treatment.

The purpose of this study was to uncover the methadone counseling process among recovering and non-recovering chemical dependency counselors by examining the concepts and techniques utilized throughout the counseling process. This study examined whether the recovery status of a counselor affected the counselor's theoretical addiction model and the concepts and techniques that were utilized throughout the counseling process.

Thesis (MCurr)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The focus of the study is on clients’ experiences of substance abuse recovery in a faith-based programme in the Western Cape. In describing the nature and extent of the substance abuse problem at an Imbizo on substance abuse, the speech of the Minister of Social Development, Benjamin (2006:1) stated that there are major challenges in rendering services to people who abuse substances. These challenges exist particularly with regard to prevention, rehabilitation and treatment of abusers. Baumann (1998: 238) stated that drug misuse is widespread and a growing problem in Southern Africa. This epidemic will have an increasing impact on mental and physical health. The focus of the literature review is to highlight the escalation of the problem over the last decade or so. Substance abuse is classified as a mental health illness, which could be healed in the application of various modalities of care. Little is understood and documented about the role of FBO programmes in substance abuse recovery in the Western Cape. The researcher hopes to add to the body of nursing research knowledge by conducting the study to answer the research question by understanding the experiences of clients accessing this level of care. The objective of the study is to explore, describe and interpret clients’ experiences of substance abuse recovery in a faith-based (FBO) programme in the Western Cape. An explorative, descriptive, interpretive, phenomenological, qualitative research design was chosen for this study. The population for this study comprised males and females, aged 18 years and older, who were admitted as in-patients in the 6-month residential substance abuse recovery facility, who followed the programme. The researcher used purposive sampling to recruit 7 participants who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, until saturation of data was reached. The primary data collection tool used was in-depth semi-structured recorded interviews and field notes. The researcher used Nola Pender’s (1996) Health Promotion model (HPM) as the conceptual framework for the study as described The Braun and Clarke’s inductive thematic analysis (2006) was used to conduct the data analysis which yielded two overarching themes, namely, the positive recovery experience and the modified future experience. Recommendations were made based on the HPM assumptions and the thematic analysis. Ethical principles were followed in conducting the study and participants were advised that they are helping researchers to answer the research questions by participating in the study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie fokus op kliënt-ervaringe van dwelmmisbruik-herstel in 'n geloof-gebaseerde programme in die Wes-Kaap. In die beskrywing van die aard en omvang van die dwelmmisbruikprobleem by 'n Imbizo op dwelmmisbruik tydens ‘n toespraak van die Minister van Maatskaplike Ontwikkeling (2006:1), is verklaar dat groot uitdagings heers met betrekking tot die lewering van dienste aan persone wat dwelmmidels misbruik. Hierdie uitdagings het veral betrekking op die voorkoming, rehabilitasie en behandeling van misbruikers. Baumann (1998: 238) verklaar dat dwelmmisbruik tans ‘n wydverspreide en groeiende probleem in Suider-Afrika is. Hierdie epidemie hou 'n toenemende impak op die geestelike en fisiese gesondheid van misbruikers in. Die fokus van die literatuuroorsig is om die verhoogde effek van die probleem uit te lig wat oor die laaste dekade voorgekom het. Die misbruik van dwelmmiddels word geklassifiseer as 'n geestesgesondheidsiekte wat gebruik kan word in die toepassing van verskeie modaliteite van gesondheidsorg. Daar is tans onvoldoende inligting beskikbaar om die rol van die FBO programme in die herstel van dwelmmisbruik in die Wes- Kaap behoorlik te kan ontleed en verstaan. Die navorser beoog om met die uitvoer van die studie die navorsingsvraag te kan beantwoord en sodoende ‘n meer ingeligte en in-diepte oorsig te kan vorm oor die ervaringe van kliente wat toegang het tot hierdie vlak van sorg. Die doel van die studie is om kliënt-ervaringe van dwelmmisbruik-herstel in 'n geloof-gebaseerde (FBO) programme in die Wes-Kaap te verken, beskryf en te interpreteer. Daar is besluit op 'n ondersoekende, beskrywende, verklarende en fenomenologiese kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp vir die studie. Die populasie vir hierdie studie het mans en vrouens in die ouderdom van 18 jaar en ouer ingesluit wat as kliente in die 6-maande residensiële dwelmmisbruik-herstel fasiliteit se progam toelating verkry het en wat deelgeneem het aan die programme. Die navorser het gebruik gemaak van ‘n doelgerigte steekproeftrekking en sodoende 7 deelnemers gewerf wat aan die insluitings en uitsluitings kriteria voldoen het. Die proses is gevolg totdat ‘n versadigingvlak van die data bereik is. Die primêre data insamelingsinstrument het die gebruik van ‘n in-diepte, ongestruktureerde onderhoud-metode behels, wat die neem van veldnotas en bandopnames ingesluit het. Die navorser het gebruik gemaak van die Pender se ‘Health Promotion Model’ (HPM) as die konseptuele raamwerk vir die studie. Die Braun en Clarke’s induktiewe tema-analise (2006) is gebruik om die data analise uit te voer wat twee oorkoepelende temas ingesluit het, naamlik, die positiewe herstelervaringetema en die gewysigde toekomstige ervaringe tema. Aanbevelings is gemaak wat op die HPM aannames en die tema analise gebaseer is. Etiese beginsels is streng gevolg en deelnemers is in kennis gestel dat hul deelname aan die studie die navorser instaat sou stel om die nodige data in te samel om sodoende die navorsingsvraag van die studie te kan beantwoord.

Historically, substance abuse research has for the most part excluded African American women. The small body of existing substance abuse research regarding African American women does not examine gender and socio-cultural issues from African American women's perspectives. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to develop a deeper, contextual understanding of the experiences and perspectives of this marginalized population of women. The major goal of the study is to examine the perspectives of African American women about their substance abuse, treatment and recovery. The knowledge gained from this research with African American women regarding their experiences and specific needs in substance abuse treatment is vital to our understanding of this special population and the complex phenomena of substance abuse. In-depth qualitative interviews were used to capture the personal accounts of 25 African American women in substance abuse treatment and recovery. The sample of women in treatment was recruited from public outpatient and residential substance abuse programs in the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area. Recovering women were recruited through community contacts using snowball sampling techniques. A semi-structured interview guide was used for data collection and interviews were audiotape recorded with the permission of the participants. The women in this study recalled specific events and experiences related to their substance abuse, treatment and recovery. Experiences with trauma were prevalent in the lives of many of the women in this study. The women identified a plethora of needs both met and unmet that are salient to their emotional and physical wellbeing. The women's perceptions of substance abuse treatment programs were influenced by a host of factors, however, the women overall expressed positive regard for substance abuse treatment. The women also evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of substance abuse treatment programs.Substance abuse disorders are complex and have far-reaching ramifications for individuals, families and communities. The paucity of funding and lack of equal access to substance abuse and other related services remains a challenge in an environment of conservatism, high health care costs and cutbacks in human services. Where substance abuse treatment is available, programs must improve services in a manner that matches the multiple and complex needs of women. If substance abuse treatment programs are to become more effective, a family-focused service model that promotes recovery of the family system must also be adopted. Moreover, the women's participation in their own care is salient to their healing, empowerment and recovery. Socio-cultural factors related to oppression play a significant role in the daily lives of African American women in both direct and indirect ways and thus warrant attention in substance abuse treatment.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology. Johannesburg, 2016 / Substance dependence is a global issue that is becoming significantly more problematic. This is due to the fact that it does not just have a devastating effect on the individual but results in profound spin-off effects, which impact society as a whole. Much research has been conducted within this area and contemporary research has seemed to focus on the link between attachment styles and substance abuse. Since its conception by John Bowlby, attachment theory has achieved an empirical authority that has contributed to its popularity in modern times. However, despite this renewed interest there still exists a gap in the literature around the role that relationships, throughout the lifespan, play in areas such as pathology and recovery. Consequently, this research embarked on an interpretive phenomenological exploration of the way relationships impact the lives of individuals suffering from substance dependence. Adults in recovery from substance dependence were individually interviewed about their experiences of their relationships during and after their years of abusing substances. Hermeneutical phenomenological analysis was used to analyse this data and it revealed a typical model of pathology where a negative childhood experience had cascading effects that culminated in the later dependence on substances. Participants all highlighted relationships with themselves or others as pivotal to either seeking substances or to going into recovery. These themes were then located within Bowlby’s (1976, 1980) developmental pathways framework in order to make sense of the progression of substance dependence along the lifespan as it manifested in these participants. / MT2017

The role of attachment style in overall family functioning and in individual substance abuse patterns has been researched extensively. Lifestyle constructs have been seen as predictors of substance abuse related behaviors, including future drug related difficulties. Dysfunctional family environments have been seen as predictors of poor mental health outcomes in family members. Despite the high rates of co-morbidity in alcohol and drug dependent individuals, parental lifestyle, attachment style, and the overall influence of family environment on the psychological traits of substance dependent individuals had not been previously examined. This study examined a group of parents and their adult children (actively in substance abuse treatment, with diagnoses of substance dependence) who participated in a weeklong family education program at an inpatient treatment center. Direct effects were found between attachment style, lifestyle and patient traits, as well as several significant total effects (combined direct effect and the effect of overall family environment). Specific indirect effects were also found from individual family environment mediators, including moral religious emphasis and control, on the relationship between independent and dependent variables. An analysis of the results is given, along with a discussion of clinical implications and directions for future research. / by John W. McIlveen. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of nurses who care for hospitalized women outside of an addiction treatment setting who have a problem with drugs and/or alcohol. The relational experiences of ten registered nurses who had cared for women with drug and alcohol problems were elicited. Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology was the method used to interpret the nurse participant's meaning of their experience. The theoretical framework that was used to explore the nurses' experience o caring for women who abuse or are dependent on alcohol and/or drugs was Boykin and Schoenhofer's Nursing as Caring (1993). The relational themes that emerged were: Caring in the dark; Intentionally knowing the woman with AOD as a unique person; and Experiencing sisterhood. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Individuals who sell drugs are often mandated by legal forces to substance abuse treatment because of their criminal offenses and the belief they may have a drug problem. Previous researchers have noted this population may be disruptive in the treatment process, but it has not been explored in depth. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn the lived experiences of counselors who work with individuals who report a primary problem of selling drugs, not substance abuse, who are mandated to a substance abuse treatment program. Thirteen semi structured interviews were conducted with counselors who have worked with individuals who sell drugs that were mandated to participate in a correctional-based therapeutic community substance abuse treatment program. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed with the assistance of NVivo for meaning and themes. Data were examined through the theoretical lens of the social learning theory (SLT). The results of the study indicated counselors were prepared for their jobs through education and training to have longevity in working in a correctional environment and provided treatment services. The counselors found that individuals who sell drugs had a history substance use, which the individuals minimized. During treatment, counselors sought to challenge individuals who sell drugs to think and explore the effects of their behaviors. Counselors found individuals who sell drugs were able to engage in treatment to avoid negative consequences. The results of this research can encourage positive social change by initiating a discussion about assessments prior to drug treatment, characteristics of drug treatment program participants, and counselor training to improve quality of drug treatment services provided.

In the 21st century drug and alcohol abuse presents one of the most serious problems worldwide. Of particular concern is the strong relationship between drug use and crime. While law enforcement strategies, including incarceration, have been revealed to contribute little to break the vicious cycle of drug use and crime, substance abuse treatment has been shown to represent an effective form of intervention. Substantial research on the effectiveness of drug treatment has demonstrated the importance of motivation in predicting treatment retention and success. However, substance users are frequently coerced into therapy by external sources, including the criminal justice system, therefore, typically exhibiting little motivation to enter and remain in treatment long enough to overcome their substance addiction. Although past research investigating the effects of treatment-entry coercion indicates positive treatment results, the vast majority of these studies are seriously impeded by extensive conceptual and methodological problems, questioning the postulated value of coercion in substance abuse treatment. Following the call for a shift in the methodological focus of future studies made by some researchers, the author of the present study tested three models that were based on well-established theories. The first model was based on Self Determination Theory (SDT), a motivational theory, while the second model was based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), an expectancy-value theory. The third model consisted of a combination of the two theories, which was argued to provide a more complete and comprehensive model than each theory on its own. The testing of the models allowed the exploration of the dynamic interplay and relationships between a number of variables including perceptions of coercion, motivation, perceived autonomy support, and behavioural intentions in an effort to explain and predict retention and treatment outcomes amongst drug and alcohol abusers. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 involved the development of a 29-item instrument called the Perceived Coercion Questionnaire, which was designed to assess participants' perceptions of coercion to enter drug and alcohol treatment originating from six different sources. The scale was shown to be a valid and reliable measure of the coercion construct. Phase 2 involved the testing of the three models longitudinally by using a sample of 350 substance abusers from six therapeutic communities across Australia. Participants were asked to complete a battery of standardised measures within the first two weeks of treatment admission (Time 1), two months into treatment (Time 2), and at completion of the treatment program (Time 3). The models were tested cross-sectionally and longitudinally employing hierarchical multiple regression analysis. In addition, change scores were calculated to test whether changes in predictor variables would predict outcomes and changes in outcomes cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Analyses of Time 1 and Time 2 cross-sectional data revealed that the SDT model, compared to the TPB and the combined model, provided a better and more parsimonious account of the factors that influence outcomes in therapeutic community treatment. Given the complexity of the study, it was decided to resume the analysis by focusing on the investigation of the SDT model alone. To highlight some of the most important findings, results demonstrated that motivation was a key factor in the treatment and rehabilitation of substance users. As anticipated, intrinsic motivation was consistently predictive of retention and more positive treatment outcomes, while external motivation and amotivation were associated with more negative outcomes. Results also revealed that clients who entered treatment as the result of a legal mandate experienced substantially higher levels of legal coercion compared to clients who entered treatment voluntarily. Legal coercion, in turn, was found to exert a negative impact on substance users' motivation for treatment, thereby indirectly resulting in more negative treatment outcomes. In contrast, self coercion (i.e., feelings of pain and suffering) and health-related pressures seemed to facilitate the development of a more intrinsic motivational attitude towards treatment. Besides, perceptions of competence and control in relation to the therapeutic regime emerged as consistent and important predictors of motivation and treatment outcomes. Finally, findings suggested that treatment staff who employed more autonomous and non-coercive strategies that guided substance users through the change process directly influenced individuals' treatment motivation and thereby facilitated more positive treatment outcomes. In sum, findings provided support for the usefulness of the SDT model in predicting dropout as well as processes and outcomes in therapeutic community drug and alcohol treatment. Implications for residential substance abuse treatment were discussed, as well as the strengths and limitations of the study. The discussion concludes with implications for practice and suggestions for future research.