Long-term treatment outcomes in substance-use disorders

As detailed on the slide, there are many different aspects to long-term addiction therapy, from considering comorbidities,^[3] to the potential counter-productive force of compulsory treatment.^[2] Generally, data support the effectiveness of planned long-term treatment or support for substance-use disorders, with those who do receive such support having a 24% greater chance of abstaining or reducing their substance use to moderate levels.^[4] Given the effectiveness of treatment for substance-use disorders, and the importance of early intervention for minimising harm, some have argued for more research to understand how and why people with substance-use disorders come to recognize and acknowledge their drug problems.^[1]

References:
[1] Price RK, Risk NK, Spitznagel EL. Remission from drug abuse over a 25-year period: patterns of remission and treatment use. Am J Public Health 2001; 91 (7): 1107–1113.

[2] Werb D, Kamarulzaman A, Meacham MC, et al. The effectiveness of compulsory drug treatment: a systematic review. Int J Drug Policy 2016; 28: 1–9.

[3] Crowley P. Long-term drug treatment of patients with alcohol dependence. Aust Prescr 2015; 38 (2): 41–43.

[4] Beaulieu M, Tremblay J, Baudry C, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of the long-term treatment and support of substance use disorders. Soc Sci Med 2021; 285: 114289.