Abstract
Therapeutic communities have a long history, dating back to the Middle Ages. Beginning in the mid 20th century, the therapeutic community was revived in the form of such programs as Synanon, led by former substance abusers. Subsequent TCs have built upon the early principles of Synanon but adapted to meet the changing needs of clients and incorporated what has been learned from the expansion of the knowledge base of substance abuse treatment. Most notably, psychiatrists have come to play an important role as medical directors of TCs. This paper describes the adolescent treatment program at Daytop Village in terms of its functioning and patient population, and the role of the psychiatrist-medical director. Necessary adaptations to the TC model for adolescents are explained. The literature on outcome of this type of treatment with respect to adolescents is reviewed. The evidence suggests that therapeutic communities are an effective form of treatment for adolescent substance abusers.
Keywords: Adolescent substance abuse related disorders/treatment, therapeutic community, adolescents, residential treatment, Synanon, substance abusers, TCs, substance abuse treatment, adaptations, Daytop Village
Adolescent Psychiatry
Title: The Therapeutic Community for the Adolescent Substance Abuser
Volume: 1 Issue: 2
Author(s): Gregory C. Bunt and Britta Muehlbach
Affiliation:
Keywords: Adolescent substance abuse related disorders/treatment, therapeutic community, adolescents, residential treatment, Synanon, substance abusers, TCs, substance abuse treatment, adaptations, Daytop Village
Abstract: Therapeutic communities have a long history, dating back to the Middle Ages. Beginning in the mid 20th century, the therapeutic community was revived in the form of such programs as Synanon, led by former substance abusers. Subsequent TCs have built upon the early principles of Synanon but adapted to meet the changing needs of clients and incorporated what has been learned from the expansion of the knowledge base of substance abuse treatment. Most notably, psychiatrists have come to play an important role as medical directors of TCs. This paper describes the adolescent treatment program at Daytop Village in terms of its functioning and patient population, and the role of the psychiatrist-medical director. Necessary adaptations to the TC model for adolescents are explained. The literature on outcome of this type of treatment with respect to adolescents is reviewed. The evidence suggests that therapeutic communities are an effective form of treatment for adolescent substance abusers.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
C. Bunt Gregory and Muehlbach Britta, The Therapeutic Community for the Adolescent Substance Abuser, Adolescent Psychiatry 2011; 1 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/2210676611101020122
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/2210676611101020122 |
Print ISSN 2210-6766 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 2210-6774 |
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Issues in the Psychiatric Screening of Cancer Patients
Current Psychiatry Reviews Methods for Evaluating Sensory, Affective and Cognitive Disorders in Neuropathic Rodents
Current Neuropharmacology Elevated Plasma Levels of Soluble TNFRs and TACE Activity in Alzheimer's Disease Patients of Northern Han Chinese Descent
Current Alzheimer Research A Nanoinformatics Approach to Evaluate the Pharmacological Properties of Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening Pharmacotherapy of Aortic Stenosis-Success or Failure?
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology A Role for Glutathione in the Pathophysiology of Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia? Animal Models and Relevance to Clinical Practice
Current Medicinal Chemistry Contextualizing Genetics for Regional Heart Failure Care
Current Cardiology Reviews Identifying Patterns in Signs and Symptoms Preceding the Clinical Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease: Retrospective Medical Record Review Study and a Nested Case-control Design
Current Alzheimer Research Nesfatin-1; Implication in Stress and Stress-associated Anxiety and Depression
Current Pharmaceutical Design Wells-Dawson Type Catalyst: An Efficient, Recoverable and Reusable Solid Acid Catalyst for the Solvent-Free Synthesis of Benzodiazepines
Current Catalysis Exploring the Role of “Brahmi” (Bacopa monnieri and Centella asiatica) in Brain Function and Therapy
Recent Patents on Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Drug Discovery Charge Deficient Analogues of the Natural Polyamines
Current Pharmaceutical Design Chronobiology and Chronotherapy in Depression: Current Knowledge and Chronotherapeutic Promises
Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews Minor-Groove Binding Agents: Rational Design of Carboxamide Bond Isosteres
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Intracranial Venous Haemodynamics in Multiple Sclerosis
Current Neurovascular Research Undesired Neural Side-Effects of a Drug, a Chemical and Genetic Interrelated Problem
Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Pattern of Primary Vasculitis with Peripheral Ischemic Manifestations: Report of a Case Series and Role of Vascular Surgery
Current Rheumatology Reviews Amyloid PET and MRI in Alzheimers Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment
Current Alzheimer Research Future of Protease Activity Assays
Current Pharmaceutical Design P2X7 Receptor-Associated Programmed Cell Death in the Pathophysiology of Hemorrhagic Stroke
Current Neuropharmacology