The use of node-link mapping in the chemical dependency treatment of adolescents

The current study examined treatment perceptions of youth adjudicated to an eight-month residential treatment facility. Participants were randomly ass igned to standard or mapping-enhanced counseling. They completed establishe d questionnaires assessing group sessions, program features, treatment moti vation, and number of program infractions. Mapping residents rated group se ssions as deeper over time. Mapped sessions appeared to also maintain resid ents' arousal over time. Mapping residents rated themselves as more motivat ed to get along with staff, and also tended to be more motivated to engage in the treatment process. In addition, mapping residents had fewer program infractions thirty days after the beginning of the experiment compared to s tandard residents. These findings extend previous research on node-link map ping in adult treatment settings.