Combined treatment of alcohol- and drug-dependent persons: a literature review and evaluation.

A review of the substance abuse field literature concerning combined treatment of alcoholic and drug-dependent persons indicates a moderately favorable, albeit cautious degree of support for doing combined treatment. With only one exception, all of the published reports of clinical experience with combined treatment were positive. Research evidence comparing substance-specific treatment and combined treatment, however, was conspicuous by its absence. Social forces contributing to the creation of an atmosphere conductive to experimenting with combined treatment are discussed. Finally, a series of questions is raised which will likely determine the speed by which the substance abuse field as a whole will move toward adopting a combined treatment approach.