Therapeutic community treatment for substance abusers with antisocial personality disorder

This study compared treatment outcomes of substance abusers with and withou t antisocial personality disorder (APD) randomly assigned to two therapeuti c communities, differing primarily in length of inpatient and outpatient tr eatment. We hypothesized that APD clients would be less likely to complete treatment, more likely to test positive for drugs and recidivate at follow- up, and that APD clients in the Standard program would have more favorable outcomes than those in the Abbreviated Inpatient program, because of the St andard program's longer inpatient treatment. Self-reports and objective mea sures of criminal activity and substance abuse were collected at pre- and p osttreatment interviews. APD clients were as likely to complete treatment a s other clients, and they exhibited the same patterns of reduced drug use a nd recidivism as did non-APD clients. Treatment program attended was unrela ted to outcomes. Substance abusers diagnosed with APD can benefit from trea tment in a therapeutic community combined with outpatient care. (C) 1999 El sevier Science Inc. All rights resented.