The use of node-link mapping in the chemical dependency treatment of adolescents

The current study examined treatment perceptions of youth adjudicated to an eight-month residential treatment facility. Participants were randomly assigned to standard or mapping-enhanced counseling. They completed established questionnaires assessing group sessions, program features, treatment motivation, and number of program infractions. Mapping residents rated group sessions as deeper over time. Mapped sessions appeared to also maintain residents' arousal over time. Mapping residents rated themselves as more motivated to get along with staff, and also tended to be more motivated to engage in the treatment process. In addition, mapping residents had fewer program infractions thirty days after the beginning of the experiment compared to standard residents. These findings extend previous research on node-link mapping in adult treatment settings.