Alcohol and drug abuse treatment: perceived effectiveness of inpatient combined treatment programs

The present study did not address directly the comparative superiority of treatment approaches for combined versus separate treatment. It reflects, instead, the perceptions of staff and clients from the programs visited, the available literature, information gathered in the search for combined programs, and program processes and outcomes. The primary hypothesis generated by the study proposed that, given a receptive treatment staff, it is probable that combined treatment has the flexibility to provide treatment to both drug and alcohol abusers that is at least as effective and probably more efficient than separate treatment. Until empirical evidence that clearly delineates problems associated with combined treatment is obtaned, it was suggested that the selection of a combined or separate treatment paradigm is best determined by the needs of the community and the attitudes of the treatment staff.