Private substance abuse treatments: are some programs more effective than others?

There have been few studies of treatments for substance dependence among private programs. The present study compared the patient populations, treatment services provided and six-month outcomes of employed, insured patients referred by an employee assistance program to four private treatment programs (two inpatient and two outpatient). Subjects were alcohol and/or cocaine dependent males referred from a single employer. Ninety-four percent were successfully contacted at six-month follow-up, with confirmatory urinalysis and breathalyzer samples taken. Three results were obtained. First, there were significant and pervasive improvements shown in the total sample at follow-up. Fifty-nine percent were completely abstinent, 82% were working and only 8% required re-treatment. Second, there were significant differences among the programs in levels of improvement and six-month outcomes. Finally, the differences in efficacy were related to the differences in the nature and amount of treatment services provided.