Different Strokes for Different Folks: results of a small study comparing characteristics of a therapeutic community population with a community drug project population

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a small study undertaken in Scotland and England. A small sample of 50 drug treatment service users was interviewed using the Maudsley Addiction Profile (MAP) and Lucid Adult Dyslexia Screening (LADS). Half of the sample was resident in a therapeutic community (TC), whilst the other half were attending a community drug project and, almost exclusively, receiving long-term prescriptions for methadone. Whilst the main intention of the study was to explore the prevalence of dyslexia amongst treatment seeking populations, this paper examines the differences found between the users of the two treatment types. The TC population was significantly more likely to have been injecting prior to treatment, were using a more extensive range of drugs and were more likely to report psychological health problems, including suicidal ideation. The paper examines whether current UK policy on residential treatment is responsible for these differences and what these findings might mean for both treatment delivery and estimating the cost-benefits of treatment interventions.