The Beech Hill Hospital/Outward Bound Adolescent Chemical Dependency Treatment Program

Ninety-one adolescents (74 males and 17 females, mean age = 16.5, range = 14-20) admitted to an in-patient treatment facility with a substance use disorder were followed over a 1-year period post-treatment. Follow-up phone interviews were conducted with each patient and a parent at 3-month intervals. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and Personal Experience Inventory (PEI) data were collected along with detailed psychosocial assessments to determine what factors predicted successful treatment outcomes. At 1-year post-treatment, 47% reported complete abstinence from alcohol and other drugs. Survival analyses indicated that participation in a self-help program such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and severity of drug use and psychopathology were associated with relapse risk. Patients with severe psychopathology and drug use scores who were not attending AA were 4.5 times more likely to relapse than patients with low scores who attended AA.