Search

Substance use disorders (SUDs) have been viewed traditionally as an acute individual illness. However, professionals are beginning to shift SUD treatment practices to match empirically driven models that consider family recovery as an important mechanism of systemic change. This study aimed to explore the relationship between family member hope and readiness to change (RTC). The method includes a dyadic actor-partner interdependence model, exploring change processes observed over a brief family treatment program located within an SUD treatment facility. Results of this study highlight actor effects for parents' RTC and hope. Implications for research and clinicians are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on alcohol/other drug abusers' readiness to change is needed for the individual planning of treatment. We investigated the readiness to change profiles of Finnish and North American alcohol/other drug abusers. The Finnish subjects (N = 780) were unselected alcoholics and polydrug users receiving inpatient treatment. The North American subjects (N = 946) were selected outpatient alcoholics treated on Project MATCH. Readiness to change was measured with the URICA (University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale). In the cluster analyses the subjects were placed in groups. The findings indicated that the readiness to change profiles of Americans and Finns are similar in form, but there were quantitative differences in grouping. The Finns' profiles were more often of the type resisting change compared to those of the Americans. These differences are most likely due to the fact that the Finnish subjects were unselected inpatients whereas the Americans were selected outpatients. The article considers the significance of the findings in the light of earlier profile studies and the treatment of alcohol/other drug abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drinking levels, related problems, and readiness to change alcohol use were assessed among college students (N = 179) referred to a university-based, early-intervention program. As expected, alcohol use and related problems within this sample exceeded university-wide norms, but problems were concentrated within a small sub-group who drank well above customarily defined "binge" levels. Furthermore, some individuals experienced significant problems drinking below binge levels. In general, participants showed limited acknowledgment of a drinking problem or interest in changing their behavior. Findings suggest that prevention and early intervention efforts should be based on college students' diverse drinking patterns and risk profiles, and support the argument against the dichotomous binge-drinking characterization of the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]