Is Alcohol and Drug Treatment Really Effective?

In this course, Professor Nicole Lee, CEO of 360edge, adjunct member of the National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, briefly traces the history of paradigms regarding alcohol and drug addiction, from “moral failing” through “disease model” to a proposed biopsychosocial model for understanding substance use disorder. A stepped care approach to treatment is most useful for the biopsychosocial approach, and Professor Lee shows how it can encompass not only psychological treatments (the largest category), but also withdrawal and pharmacotherapy ones. She outlines the types of psychological treatments that have the greatest demonstrated effectiveness, and explains the importance of assessment, early identification, and ensuring treatment completion.