Chapter two – The Clinical Course of Addiction Treatment: The Role of Nonspecific Therapeutic Factors

Publisher Summary People who seek addiction treatment, their friends, and family members, along with professionals who provide treatment services and those who pay for programs and services, all expect that exposure to treatment will reduce alcohol and other drug misuse, reduce the devastating health and social problems that typically accompany addictions, and improve alcohol and drug misusers' quality of life. Every one of these stakeholders can and should demand that the kinds of treatment offered in addiction programs and services and effectiveness, and that ongoing efforts should be made to monitor and improve service delivery and outcomes facilitated by treatment providers. By illuminating the active ingredients that transcend treatment modalities, researchers have an opportunity to substantially improve all substance abuse treatment approaches.