What Project Can I Make Out of Drug-Alcohol Abuse Psychology Research?
Question by thomas_afi628: What project can I make out of Drug-Alcohol Abuse Psychology research?
I am a senior in high school, and we have to do a big graduation project that consists of a 5-page paper, 15 hours with a mentor, and a final presentation in front of judges. The topic I was considering was A Day In The Life of a Psychologist. Substance Abuse, more specifically. My paper could be about how drug and alcohol abuse has grown/stopped/whatever in America over the last 60 or so years. What could I do as a final presentation? I was thinking, maybe a step-by-step plan for a recovering adolescent, but I’m not really sure. Any suggestions?
Best answer:
Answer by RWPossum
Here’s a primer on alcoholism treatment, from research I’ve done.
There is evidence that, on the average, recovery with AA and counseling have very similar outcomes and that there may be very similar outcomes with different counseling methods. The evidence is in the 1998 report of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism study Project MATCH, the most elaborate study on the treatment of alcoholism ever conducted, also the most elaborate study of psychotherapy methods, run at a cost of $ 27 million (Glaser et al., 1999; Bower, 1997). Its main purpose was to search for ways to tailor help for individual alcoholics by matching personal characteristics with types of treatment. Although the matching results are controversial, the project has changed thinking about treatment. There were three treatments in the MATCH study, all consisting of counseling. One was based on the 12 steps of AA. The other two made use of research-based methods. In their description of the overall outcome of the program, the MATCH Research Group said that there were few differences between the three treatments. Because of the overall high success rate of the subjects, this study is part of the research that supports the more optimistic view of treatment and recovery.
To some degree, individual experience is unpredictable. AA sponsors are not all the same. Neither are counselors.
The ideal in recovery is to simply stop drinking and stay sober. In reality, the typical alcoholic who is successful in achieving a lasting sobriety will have failed at least once during recovery (Prochaska et al., 1992). If an alcoholic were to ask, “Would I fail with AA?” the answer would have to be, “Probably, at least once.” The same is true of other treatments.
Mesa Grande is a University of New Mexico project that reports on alcohol studies (Miller & Wilbourne, 2002). William R. Miller, coauthor of the 2002 Mesa Grande report, was a key figure in the development of Motivation Enhancement, one of the three approaches tested in Project MATCH (Miller and Rollnick, 1991; Miller & Sanchez, 1994). He concluded a 1998 review of studies with this comment.
>>>Although no one of these works for all or even most clients on the first try, the fact is that in the long run most people with serious alcohol problems do resolve them and go on to live more stable and happy lives … A helpful and honest message is, “We can work together to try what seems most likely to help you. If it works, great. If not, don’t be discouraged or take it personally. It most likely would mean that we hadn’t yet found the right approach for you. There are many different ways in which people change successfully.”>>>
Bower B. (1997). Alcoholics synonymous: Heavy drinkers of all stripes may get comparable help from a variety of therapies. Science News, vol. 151, no. 4, p. 62.
Glaser, F.B., Heather N., & Drummond, D.C. (1999). Comments on Project MATCH: Matching alcohol treatments to client heterogeneity. Addiction, vol. 94, no. 1, p. 31.
Miller, W.R., & Rollnick, S. (1991). Motivational interviewing: Preparing people to change addictive behavior. New York: Guilford.
Miller, W. R. & Wilbourne, P. L. (2002). Mesa Grande: A methodological analysis of clinical trials of treatments for alcohol use disorders. Addiction, vol. 97, no.3, p.265.
Miller, W.R. & Sanchez, V.C. (1994). Motivating young adults for treatment and lifestyle change. In G. Howard (Ed.), Issues in alcohol use and misuse by young adults. Notre Dame, IN: Norte Dame Press.
Prochaska, J.O., DiClemente, C.C., Velicer, F., & Rossi, J.S. (1992). Criticisms and concerns of the transtheoretical model in light of recent research. British Journal of Addiction, vol. 87, no. 6, p. 825.
Add your own answer in the comments!
Marijuana, Law Enforcement and Young New Yorkers | The New School – Study non-profit management, urban and environmental policy, human resources, and international affairs at the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy, a part of The New School in New York City. | www.newschool.edu According to the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services, 70 percent of the 50383 arrests for possession of marijuana in New York City in 2010 were of young people under thirty, and 86 percent of those arrested were black and Latino. The debate on the classification of marijuana possession as a crime is heating up nationwide, even as the number of arrests in New York has risen. Many substance abuse professionals, public officials, and community anti-crime activists support a drug enforcement strategy that includes “broken windows” policing and drug treatment. Others question whether this is worth the cost, including the criminal convictions that can damage young people’s prospects for education and jobs. Is it time for change, or not? THE NEW SCHOOL | www.newschool.edu Panelists Dan Donovan, Staten Island District Attorney; Oma S. Holloway, director of career services, The Door – A Center of Alternatives; Noah Kass, LMSW and clinical director, Realization Center, Inc; Jenay Nurse, staff attorney, Bronx Defenders; Gabriel Sayegh, New York State director, Drug Policy Alliance. Moderated by Cindy Rodriguez, WNYC This event is supported by the Sirus Fund and the Milano Foundation. Presented by the Center for New York City Affairs …
Big pharma cashes in on HGH abuse
Filed under: drug abuse treatment cost analysis program
From 2005 to 2011, inflation-adjusted sales of HGH were up 69 per cent, according to an Associated Press analysis of pharmaceutical company data collected by the research firm IMS Health. Sales of the average prescription drug rose just 12 per cent in …
Read more on South China Morning Post
MediciNova Provides Development Update
Filed under: drug abuse treatment cost analysis program
End-of-phase 2 guidance from the FDA and the newly extended patent protection (to expire no earlier than 2030) for use of MN-221 in the treatment of acute exacerbations of asthma (AEA) provide a clear development path for MN-221. … MediciNova will …
Read more on Equities.com
Longer Looks: Helping Other Parents Reach Out To Mentally Ill Children
Filed under: drug abuse treatment cost analysis program
(Jennie Linn) McCormack knew that an abortion would cost $ 400 to $ 2,000, depending on how far along she was. … She couldn't come up … Pediatrician Tomás Magaña has treated it all — gunshot wounds, drug overdoses and domestic abuse injuries. "I've …
Read more on Kaiser Health News