The drug treatment outcomes research study (DTORS): qualitative study

Authors:
BARNARD Matt, et al
Publisher:
Great Britain. Home Office
Publication year:
2009
Pagination:
22p.
Place of publication:
London

This report describes the findings from the qualitative study of the Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study (DTORS). It was designed to explore treatment providers’ and treatment seekers’ perspectives on the factors influencing the effectiveness of drug misuse treatment in England. The study used in-depth unstructured interviews to explore the views and experiences of providers and treatment seekers of Tier 3 and Tier 4 drug treatment services, which offer structured interventions to people with significant drug problems. The findings cover the range of pressures reinforcing dependency, the factors influencing the effectiveness of treatment, the factors influencing the delivery of treatment, and the outcomes of contact with treatment services. The findings highlight the complexity of drug treatment and suggest the need for drug treatment to be sufficiently flexible to enable consideration of the range of pressures reinforcing an individual’s dependency. Other key implications of the research are a widely held scepticism that treatment can be effective without a deep level of motivation on the part of the treatment seeker, and the challenge of responding to needs against a backdrop of increasing numbers and longer retention in treatment.

Subject terms:
longitudinal studies, outcomes, treatment, therapy and treatment, drug misuse;
Content type:
research
Location(s):
England
Link:
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Series name:
Research Report
Series no:
26
ISBN print:
978 1 84987 125 9

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