NCJ Number
156973
Journal
Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: (1994) Pages: 1-16
Date Published
1994
Length
16 pages
Annotation
A sample of 26 youths, aged 18 years or younger, who had engaged in illegal drug use other than, or in addition to, alcohol use, received 6 months of treatment after being randomly assigned to either a supportive counseling program or to a newly designed behavioral treatment.
Abstract
The typical behavior therapy format consisted of therapist modeling, rehearsal, self-recording, written assignments, and review of these assignments in session in order to restructure family and peer relationships and to control urges; drug use was monitored through urinalysis, as well as family and self-reports. The results showed that, during the previous month, 9 percent of the adolescents in the counseling group were abstinent, compared to 73 percent of those in the experimental group. The reduction in drug use was confirmed by urinalysis data, days per month of drug use, and overall number of months of abstinence. The youths in the behavioral program also showed improvement in terms of school and work attendance, youth- and parent-relationship satisfaction ratings, conduct ratings, mental health, and alcohol use patterns. 3 tables, 2 figures, and 13 references