This investigation assessed the effectiveness of an
adolescent substance abuse treatment program that
incorporated "Rites of Passage." Named Gender Based
Treatment (GBT), the treatment program sought to address
the adolescents' developmental needs through the use of
rituals, myth and story telling, and rites of initiation.
Employing quantitative and qualitative analysis, this
investigation assessed and described the GBT program over
a nine month period. The quantitative data analysis
revealed a change in the positive direction after the
treatment for most of the subjects. Of the subjects who
met the Follow-up Structured Interview criteria, six out
of eight reported being alcohol and drug free 30 days
following treatment. Two subjects reported relapses and
one subject reported a minor incident with the legal
system.
The qualitative data collected raised concerns
regarding (a) the "common vision" of the staff; (b) the
awareness level of the staff regarding the cultural
assumptions and the moral/political implications of the
GBT; (c) the contradictory messages being sent regarding
smoking, gender relations, power, and sexism; and (d) the
interest, engagement, and impact of the GBT on the
subjects.
This investigation revealed the accuracy in which the
GBT matched the recommendations made in the substance
abuse literature. It is speculated that an interaction
effect between the traditional form of treatment and the
new GBT, positively influenced subjects' abstinence and
relapse rate, illegal behavior, self-esteem and coping
behaviors. Further speculation regarding the theoretical
implications for this study point to Social Learning
Theory, or modeling as a potent variable. It is
hypothesized that the staff members' involvement in the
planning and implementing this new form of treatment had a
positive influence on the staff as a whole and thereby
positively influenced the adolescents in treatment. / Graduation date: 1993
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/36862 |
| Date | 27 August 1992 |
| Creators | Mason, Michael J. |
| Contributors | Collison, Brooke B. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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