Drug abuse treatment process: a review of the literature

The literature on drug abuse treatment is reviewed in two sections. The first of these briefly describes the three major treatment modalities (outpatient methadone, residential, and outpatient drug-free). The objectives and approaches of each modality are outlined, and a number of issues surrounding each modality are sketched. The second section of the review covers general studies of drug abuse treatment. In particular, studies of retention, counselor characteristics, program policies and goals, the nature and extent of services received by clients, the context in which treatment is administered, methadone dosage levels, and other such variables are reviewed. Various typologies of treatment are presented and discussed. Conclusions and implications for future research are also discussed.