Drug abuse treatment entry and engagement: Report of a meeting on treatment readiness

Although the effectiveness of drug abuse treatment has been demonstrated re peatedly, many drug abusers do not enter treatment, many who do enter leave prematurely, and relapse following treatment is common. To further researc h treatment entry and engagement, the National institute on Drug Abuse conv ened scientists representing diverse research traditions in December 1996. This article summarizes meeting presentations and recommendations. Presenta tions focused on treatment readiness/motivation for change, ethnographic re ports of drug abusers' perceptions of and altitudes toward treatment, and r eports on alternative treatments for high-risk drug abusers. Recommendation s focused on the potential contribution of qualitative research, integratio n of qualitative and quantitative research approaches, development of flexi ble treatment approaches that are cognizant of patients' life circumstances , and services research to improve the organization and delivery of drug ab use treatment. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.