Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among drug users, particularly among women. Those who suffer from both of these conditions also struggle more with both conditions and have a more difficult time meeting their treatment goals. Estimates also suggest that as many as 80% of women seeking treatment for drug abuse report lifetime histories of sexual and/or physical assault. These facts highlight the importance of finding effective treatments for this high-risk population. Early studies show Seeking Safety, a substance abuse treatment designed specifically for women with trauma, is an option with great potential for this population. This study compares the effectiveness of two manualized interventions for women when added to treatment as usual: Seeking Safety, and Women’s Health Education, a psychoeducational program focused on health topics of special relevance for women.

Adolescent drug abuse continues to be one of the most pressing public health issues in the United States—our nation’s teenagers continue to use illicit drugs at a worrisome rate. Broad reviews of the treatment outcome literature indicate that family interventions in general, and Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) in particular, are effective with drug using youth. This study was designed to compare BSFT to treatment as usual (TAU). The researchers believed that BSFT would be much more effective than TAU in reducing adolescent drug use.

About 5% of women use illicit substances during pregnancy, and approximately 22% of these also report using tobacco or alcohol. A number of treatment programs have started to offer treatment specifically designed for pregnant substance abusers. While these programs have shown some success, it is still difficult to keep these women in treatment. Brief motivational sessions have been found to improve treatment engagement and outcomes in both alcohol and drug using women. This study compares one such treatment intervention, Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), with standard treatment. The three individual MET sessions focus on developing rapport, exploring perceived pros and cons of using substances, reviewing the participant’s feedback on the consequences of substance use and the status of her pregnancy, and developing a change plan or strengthening the commitment to change. Patients assigned to standard treatment receive the treatment normally given in that clinic; this will include at least three individual sessions that are also designed to help them overcome alcohol and drug use.

Substance abuse is associated with a wide spectrum of medical disorders, including infections due to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis C virus (HCV) as well as sexually transmitted infections. Despite the seriousness of this problem, there has not been a systematic investigation of infectious disease services in the substance abuse treatment health care delivery system. This is a study of policies and services in Community Treatment Programs (CTPs) related to these infections. The study surveys CTP administrators and direct care providers and reviews policies related to clinical guidelines and reimbursement policies through a survey of administrators of state substance abuse agencies or health departments. In addition to filling the information gap about available services for infectious disease in substance abuse treatment programs, this study will provide a basis for later studies on the efficiency of these services and of health outcomes

Relapse rates are frequently high during the first few months after substance abuse treatment, often reversing many of the positive results of treatment. Virtually all treatment programs strongly recommend that participants get involved in "aftercare" or "continuing care" activities after they are discharged. Treatment programs use a variety of strategies to ensure attendance at continuing care activities. The Betty Ford Center conducted a pilot evaluation of a simple, low-cost, post-treatment continuing care intervention. This strategy consists of telephone calls from Center staff to a selected set of participants. The current study is designed to determine whether it is practical and feasible to conduct a larger, more definitive study testing the value of this post-residential telephone call procedure.

The use of heroin by American adolescents is at its highest level since the 1960s. However, the treatment of young heroin users has not been particularly effective, and some treatment providers are reluctant to use the medications they reserve for their older patients, especially for long-term opioid maintenance. This study compares two 3-month treatments for adolescents/young adults who are addicted to heroin. Both groups receive 3 months of psychosocial treatment (individual and/or group drug counseling). In addition, the experimental group receives 3 months of buprenorphine stabilization, while the control group is detoxified from opiates using buprenorphine over a 7 - 14 day period. The researchers believe the use of a 3-month stabilization with buprenorphine/naloxone in combination with psychosocial therapy will more effectively reduce heroin use, help these young people comply with their treatment, and improve their overall adjustment than brief detoxification with buprenorphine.

The prevalence of cigarette smoking among substance abusers is high, and substance abusers who smoke have more health problems, higher death rates, and more severe drug and alcohol addiction than those who don't. In the past decade, studies have demonstrated that smoking cessation programs and smoke-free policies can be successful in drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinics. Patients stay in treatment longer, they stop smoking for a time, and they do not use more drugs or alcohol than other patients. This study looks at how feasible it is to incorporate a state-of-the-art smoking cessation treatment program into community substance abuse treatment programs and to see if adding such a program will help people quit smoking and stay off of drugs and alcohol better than substance abuse treatment alone. The treatment for quitting smoking consists of group counseling in combination with the nicotine skin patch (NicoDerm CQ).

The "Baseline Study" is designed to help us better understand the community treatment programs participating in the NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN). Using a series of surveys, the study will be used to:

To improve treatment outcomes, it is necessary to use interventions that can motivate clients to attend treatment and initiate and sustain abstinence. Extensive research has consistently shown that client motivation for positive behavioral change can be influenced by the use of novel interventions based on established behavioral principles. In numerous controlled experimental studies in both outpatient cocaine treatment and methadone maintenance programs, procedures involving the provision of tangible incentives (prizes, coupons, vouchers, e.g.) to clients for drug-free urines resulted in sustained periods of abstinence and retention in treatment. This study in methadone-based Community Treatment Programs (CTPs) will utilize incentive values that are considerably lower in cost than those typically used in research clinics.

To improve treatment outcomes, it is necessary to use interventions that can motivate clients to attend treatment and initiate and sustain abstinence. Extensive research has consistently shown that client motivation for positive behavioral change can be influenced by the use of novel interventions based on established behavioral principles. In numerous controlled experimental studies in both outpatient cocaine treatment and methadone maintenance programs, procedures involving the provision of tangible incentives to clients for drug-free urines resulted in sustained periods of abstinence and retention in treatment. The initial study in Community Treatment Programs will utilize incentive values considerably lower than those typically used in research clinics.