Within the general area of psychotherapy research, and especially within the area of the treatment of the addictions, there is an increasing body of evidence to suggest that 1) the therapeutic expectations, perceptions, attitudes, and general philosophies of addicts and therapists are often at considerable variance; and 2) the degree of such discordance, especially within a given treatment dyad consisting of therapist and addict-client, is negatively related to successful treatment outcome. In view of the above, the proposed project is designed to measure important dimensions of treatment expectations and other relevant variables in representative samples of narcotic addicts and treatment agency staff. The former will consist of 480 individuals stratified by race (Black and White), sex (Male and Female), and treatment modality (methadone maintenance, detoxification, and abstinence) apportioned equally within the paradigm of a balanced, factorial design. Participating treatment agency personnel will consist of approximately 100 persons staffing the same seven agencies from which the addict subjects are drawn. Major data analyses will include 1) comparisons between addicts and agency staff on the dimensions of attitude and expectation measured, with various background variables statistically controlled; 2) measurement of the degree of overall discordance between addict and therapist in specific treatment dyads, and the relationship of this discordance to therapeutic success; and 3) evaluation of the effects of the primary stratifying dimensions on these and other dependent variables of interest. Should the major hypotheses of this research be supported, efforts will be undertaken to reduce the degree of discordance between addicts and agency staff through the initiation of special orientation and training procedures.
| Nurco, D N; Shaffer, J W; Hanlon, T E et al. (1988) Relationships between client/counselor congruence and treatment outcome among narcotic addicts. Compr Psychiatry 29:48-54 |
| Nurco, D N; Hanlon, T E; Shaffer, J W et al. (1988) Differences among treatment clinic types in attitudes toward narcotic addiction. J Nerv Ment Dis 176:714-8 |
| Nurco, D N; Shaffer, J W; Hanlon, T E et al. (1987) Attitudes toward narcotic addiction. J Nerv Ment Dis 175:653-60 |
