A systematic review of studies examining effectiveness of therapeutic communities

Therapeutic Communities

Volumn 35, Issue 4, 2014, Pages 168-184

  Magor Blatch, Lynne ^a,b   Bhullar, Navjot ^c   Thomson, Bronwyn ^a   Thorsteinsson, Einar ^c  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA   (Australia)

^b UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG   (Australia)

^c UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND   (Australia)

Author keywords

Mental health issues; Prisoners; Substance use treatment; Systematic review; Therapeutic communities; Treatment intervention

Indexed keywords

EID: 84913621822     PISSN: 09641866     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1108/TC-07-2013-0024     Document Type: Article

References (61)

1. References marked with an asterisk indicate studies included in the systematic review.
2. Bale, R.N., Van Stone, W.W., Kuldau, J.M., Engelsing, T.M.J., Elashoff, R.M. and Zarcone, V.P. Jr (1980), "Therapeutic communities vs. methadone maintenance: A prospective controlled study of narcotic addiction treatment-design and one-year follow-up", Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 37 No. 2, pp. 179-93.
3. Bale, R.N., Zarcone, V.P. Jr, Van Stone, W.W., Kuldau, J.M., Engelsing, T.M.J. and Elashoff, R.M. (1984), "Three therapeutic communities: A prospective controlled study of narcotic addiction treatment: Process and two-year follow-up results", Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 41 No. 2, pp. 185-91.
4. Boles, S.M. and Miotto, K. (2003), "Substance abuse and violence: A literature review", Aggression and Violent Behaviour, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 155-74.
5. Broekaert, E., Vandevelde, S., Soyez, V., Yates, R. and Slater, A. (2006), "The third generation of therapeutic communities: The early development of the TC for addictions in Europe", European Addiction Research, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 1-11.
6. Coletti, D.S., Huges, P.H., Lnadress, H.J., Neri, R.L., Sicilian, D.M., Williams, K.M., Urmann, C.F. and Anthony, J.C. (1992), "PAR Village: Specialized intervention of cocaine abusing women and their children", Journal of the Florida Medical Association, Vol. 79, pp. 701-5.
7. Craig, P., Dieppe, P., Macintyre, S., Michie, S., Nazareth, I. and Petticrew, M. (2008), "Developing and evaluating complex interventions: The new Medical Research Council guidance", British Medical Journal, Vol. 337 No. 7676, doi:10.1136/bmj.a1655.
8. Darke, S., Campbell, G. and Popple, G. (2012), "Retention, early dropout and treatment completion among therapeutic community admissions", Drug and Alcohol Review, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 64-71.
9. De Leon, G. (2000), The Therapeutic Community: Theory, Model, and Method, Springer Publishing Company, New York, NY.
10. De Leon, G. (2010), "Is the therapeutic community an evidence-based treatment? What the evidence says", International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, Vol. 31 No. 2, pp. 104-28.
11. De Leon, G. and Deitch, D. (1985), "Treatment of the adolescent substance abuser in a therapeutic community", in Friedman, A. and Beschner, G. (Eds), Treatment Services for Adolescent Substance Abusers, National Institute on Drug Abuse, DHHS Publication Number (ADM), Rockville, MD, pp. 85-1342.
12. De Leon, G., Melnick, G. and Cleland, C.M. (2008), "Client matching: A severity-treatment intensity paradigm", Journal of Addictive Diseases, Vol. 27 No. 3, pp. 99-113.
13. De Leon, G., Melnick, G. and Hawke, J. (2000), "The motivation-readiness factor in drug treatment: Implications for research and policy", in Levy, J., Stephens, R. and McBride, D. (Eds), Emergent Issues in the Field of Drug Abuse 7, Advances in Medical Sociology Series, JAI Press Inc., Stamford, CT, pp. 103-29.
14. De Leon, G., Sacks, S., Staines, G. and McKendrick, K. (1999), "Modified therapeutic community for homeless mentally ill chemical abusers: Emerging subtypes", American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 495-515.
15. Etheridge, R.M., Hubbard, R.L., Anderson, J., Craddock, S.G. and Flynn, P.M. (1997), "Treatment structure and program services in the drug abuse outcome study (DATOS)", Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 244-60.
16. Fernandez-Montalvo, J., Lopez-Goni, J.J., Illescas, C., Landa, N. and Lorea, I. (2008), "Evaluation of a therapeutic community treatment program: A long-term follow-up study in Spain", Substance Use & Misuse, Vol. 43 No. 10, pp. 1362-77.
17. Ferriter, M. and Huband, N. (2005), "Does the non-randomised controlled study have a place in the systematic review? A pilot study", Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 111-20.
18. Garg, A.X., Hackam, D. and Tonelli, M. (2008), "Systematic review and meta-analysis: When one study is just not enough", Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Vol. 3 No. 1, pp. 253-60.
19. Gossop, M., Marsden, J., Stewart, D. and Rolfe, A. (1999), "Treatment retention and one year outcomes for residential programmes in England", Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Vol. 57 No. 2, pp. 89-98.
20. Higgins, J.P.T. and Green, S. (2008), Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, Version 5.1.0, The Cochrane Collaboration, Wiley, Chichester.
21. Hiller, M.L., Knight, K. and Simpson, D.D. (2006), "Recidivism following mandated residential substance abuse treatment for felony probationers", The Prison Journal, Vol. 86 No. 2, pp. 230-41.
22. Hiller, M.L., Knight, K., Leukefeld, C. and Simpson, D.D. (2002), "Motivation as a predictor of therapeutic engagement in mandated residential substance abuse treatment", Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 29, pp. 56-75, doi:10.1177/0093854802029001004.
23. Hubbard, R.L., Craddock, G., Flynn, P.M., Anderson, J. and Etheridge, R.M. (1997), "Overview of 1-year follow up outcomes in the drug abuse treatment outcome study (DATOS)", Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 261-178.
24. Hunter, B., Berends, L. and McLean, S. (2012), "Using realist synthesis to develop an evidence base from an identified data set on enablers and barriers for alcohol and drug program implementation", The Qualitative Report, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 131-42.
25. Inciardi, J.A., Martin, S.S. and Butzin, C.A. (2004), "Five-year outcomes of therapeutic community treatment of drug-involved offenders after release from prison", Crime and Delinquency, Vol. 50 No. 1, pp. 88-107.
26. Jainchill, N. (1997), "Therapeutic communities for adolescents: The same and not the same", in De Leon G. (Ed.), Community as Method: Therapeutic Communities for Special Populations and Special Settings, Praeger, Westport, CT, pp. 161-77.
27. Kennard, D. (2004), "The therapeutic community as an adaptable treatment modality across different settings", Psychiatric Quarterly, Vol. 75 No. 3, pp. 295-307.
28. McKendrick, K., Sullivan, C., Banks, S. and Sacks, S. (2007), "Modified therapeutic community treatment for offenders with MICA disorders", Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Vol. 44 No. 2, pp. 133-59.
29. Malivert, M., Fatseas, M., Denis, C., Langlois, E. and Auriacombe, M. (2011), "Effectiveness of therapeutic communities: A systematic review", European Addiction Research, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 1-11.
30. Messina, N., Grella, C.E., Cartier, J. and Torres, S. (2010), "A randomized experimental study of gender-responsive substance abuse treatment for women in prison", Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 1-18.
31. Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J. and Altman, D.G. and The PRISMA Group (2009), "Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement", PLoS Medicine, Vol. 6 No. 7, doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097.
32. National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) (2009), Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide, 2nd ed., NIDA, Washington, DC.
33. Nemes, S., Wish, E.D. and Messina, N. (1999), "Comparing the impact of standard and abbreviated treatment in a therapeutic community: Findings from the district of Columbia treatment initiative experiment", Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 339-47.
34. Newcomb, M.D., Galaif, E.R. and Carmona, J.V. (2001), "The drug-crime nexus in a community sample of adult", Psychology of Addictive Behaviours, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 185-93.
35. Nuttbrock, L.A., Rahav, M., Rivera, J.J., Ng-Mak, D.S. and Link, B.G. (1998), "Outcomes of homeless mentally ill chemical abusers in community residences at a therapeutic community", Psychiatric Services, Vol. 49 No. 1, pp. 68-76.
36. Nuttbrock, L.H., Ng-Mak, D.S., Rahav, M. and Rivera, J.J. (1997), "Pre-and post-admission attrition of homeless, mentally ill chemical abusers referred to residential treatment programs", Addiction, Vol. 92 No. 10, pp. 1305-16.
37. Pawson, R., Greenhalgh, T., Harvey, G. and Walshe, K. (2005), "Realist review: A new method of systematic review designed for complex policy interventions", Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, Vol. 10 No. S1, pp. 21-34.
38. Pitts, J.A. (1991), "The relationship between treatment outcome and time in treatment", Paper presented at the 14th World Federation of Therapeutic Communities, Montreal, Quebec, September.
39. Prendergast, M.L., Podus, D., Chang, E. and Urada, D. (2002), "The effectiveness of drug abuse treatment: A meta-analysis of comparison group studies", Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Vol. 67 No. 1, pp. 53-72.
40. Prendergast, M.L., Hall, E., Wexler, H.K., Melnick, G. and Cao, Y. (2004), "Amity prison-based therapeutic community: 5-year outcomes", The Prison Journal, Vol. 84 No. 1, pp. 34-60.
41. Rycroft-Malone, J., McCormack, B., Hutchinson, A.M., Decorby, K., Bucknall, T.K., Kent, B., Schultz, A., Snelgrove-Clarke, E., Stetler, C.B., Titler, M., Wallin, L. and Wilson, V. (2012), "Realist synthesis: Illustrating the method for implementation research", Implementation Science, Vol. 33 No. 7, doi:10.1186/1748-5908-7-33.
42. Sacks, J.Y., Sacks, S., McKendrick, K., Banks, S., Schoeneberger, M., Hamilton, Z. and Stommell, J. (2008), "Prison therapeutic community treatment for female offenders: Profiles and preliminary findings for mental health and other variables", Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Vol. 46 Nos 3-4, pp. 233-61.
43. Sacks, S., McKendrick, K., Sacks, J. and Cleland, C.M. (2010), "Modified therapeutic community for co-occuring disorders: Single investigator meta analysis", Substance Abuse, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 146-61.
44. Sacks, S., Chaple, M., Sacks, J.Y., McKendrick, K. and Cleland, C.M. (2012), "Randomized trial of a reentry modified therapeutic community for offenders with co-occurring disorders: Criminal outcomes", Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, Vol. 42 No. 3, pp. 247-59.
45. Sacks, S., De Leon, G., Balistreri, E., Libery, H.J., McKendrick, K., Sacks, J., Staines, G. and Yagelka, J. (1998), "Modified therapeutic community for homeless mentally ill chemical abusers", Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 545-54.
46. Sacks, S., Sacks, J.Y., McKendrick, K., Banks, S. and Stommel, J. (2004), "Modified TC for MICA offenders: Crime outcomes", Behavioral Sciences and the Law, Vol. 22 No. 4, pp. 477-501.
47. Simpson, D.D. and Sells, S.B. (1982), "Effectiveness of treatment for drug abuse: An overview of the DARP research program", Advances in Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 7-29.
48. Smith, L.A., Gates, S. and Foxcroft, D. (2008), "Therapeutic communities for substance related disorders", Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews 2006, No. 1, Art. No.: CD005338, doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005338.pub2.
49. Soyez, V., Broekaert, E. and Yves, R. (2006), "Social network involvement during therapeutic community treatment: Is there an impact on success?", Therapeutic Communities, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 45-67.
50. Stevens, S.J. and Glider, P. (1994), "Therapeutic communities: Substance abuse treatment for women", in Tims, F.M., De Leon, G. and Jainchill, N. (Eds), Therapeutic Community: Advances in Research and Application, NIDA Research Monograph No. 144, NIH Publication, No.94-3633, NIDA, Rockville, MD, pp. 162-80.
51. Stevens, S.J., Arbiter, N. and McGrath, R. (1997), "Women and children: Therapeutic community substance abuse treatment", in De Leon, G. (Ed.), Community as Method: Therapeutic Communities for Special Populations and Special Settings, Praeger, Westport, CT, pp. 129-41.
52. Sullivan, C., Sacks, S., McKendrick, K., Banks, S., Sacks, J.Y. and Stommel, J. (2007), "Modified therapeutic community treatment for offenders with co-occuring disorders: Mental health outcomes", Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Vol. 45 Nos 1-2, pp. 227-47.
53. Teichman, M. and Basha, U. (1996), "Codependancy and family cohesion and adaptability: Changes during treatment in a therapeutic community", Substance-use & Misuse, Vol. 31 No. 5, pp. 599-615.
54. Vanderplasschen, W., Colpaert, K., Autrique, M., Rapp, R.C., Pearce, S., Broekaert, E. and Vandevelde, S. (2013), "Therapeutic communities for addictions: A review of their effectiveness from a recovery-oriented perspective", The Scientific World Journal, Article ID 427817, doi:10.1155/2013/427817.
55. van Stelle, K.R. and Moberg, D.P. (2004), "Outcome data for MICA clients after participation in an institutional therapeutic community", Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Vol. 39 No. 1, pp. 37-62.
56. Welsh, W.N. (2007), "A multisite evaluation of prison-based therapeutic community drug treatment", Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 34 No. 11, pp. 1481-98.
57. Wexler, H.K., Cuadrado, M. and Stevens, S.J. (1998), "Residential treatment for women: Behavioural and psychological outcomes", Drugs & Society, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 213-33.
58. Wexler, H.K., De Leon, G., Thomas, G., Kressel, G. and Peters, J. (1999), "The Amity prison TC evaluation", Criminal Justice and Behaviour, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 147-67.
59. Whittemore, R. and Knafl, K. (2005), "The integrative review: Updated methodology", Journal of Advanced Nursing, Vol. 52 No. 5, pp. 546-53.
60. World Health Organisation (2010), "ATLAS on substance use (2010): Resources for the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders", World Health Organisation, Geneva, available at: Www.who.int/substanceabuse/publications/Media/en/index.html (accessed 20 July 2011).
61. Yates, R., De Leon, G., Mullen, R. and Arbiter, N. (2010), "Straw men: Exploring the evidence base and the mythology of the therapeutic community", International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, Vol. 31 No. 2, pp. 95-100.