We were extremely gratified by the results because they demonstrate that our programs are changing lives for the better.
Long Beach, CA (PRWEB) March 16, 2016
According to a long-term outcome study, patients receiving addiction treatment through the Elements Behavioral Health network showed significant and sustained improvement in the number of days abstinent from drug and alcohol use, in strength and frequency of cravings, in mood, and in quality of life. The study was conducted jointly by researchers from Syracuse University, Elements Behavioral Health and the Research Institute on Addictions.
Elements Behavioral Health is one of the nation’s largest providers of outpatient and residential treatment programs for substance abuse and mental health issues. It instituted the study as a way of quantifying what clients can expect in terms of success rates. The findings will also be used to inform practices so that the company can continue to advance as an industry leader in effective, evidence-based treatment.
“We were extremely gratified by the results because they demonstrate that our programs are changing lives for the better,” said David Sack, MD, chief medical officer of Elements Behavioral Health. “They also send a powerful message to those struggling with drug or alcohol addiction: Recovery is well within reach.”
The study followed dozens of patients from arrival in treatment and then again at one, three and six months following discharge. Among the findings from the patients who were interviewed:
- Abstinence: At program entry, patients reported using drugs and/or alcohol four out of five days on average. One month after discharge, study participants were abstinent from alcohol more than 97% of the time and abstinent from other drugs close to 96%. Six months later, the participants were abstaining from alcohol close to 92% of the time and from drugs more than 94% of the time.
- Cravings: The frequency of cravings fell from between six to 10 times a day upon admission to less than once per day after leaving the program — an improvement that was maintained across all six months. Craving strength plummeted from highs of “very strong” at admission to settle at just below “a little bit” at six months.
- Mood: Most participants rated “severity of depressed mood” as moderate upon entering the treatment program and as “minimal” across all six months following discharge.
- Quality of life: Life went from “pretty bad” upon admission” to “pretty good” following discharge — and stayed there.
“Put these results together and they show that clients with drug or alcohol problems who reach out for help from our programs have excellent prospects for seeing sustained improvements in their substance use and quality of life,” Dr. Sack said.
About Elements Behavioral Health
Elements Behavioral Health is an owner of a series of behavioral health programs located throughout the United States. The Elements Behavioral Health® family of programs offers comprehensive, innovative treatment for substance abuse, sexual addiction, trauma, eating disorders, and other mental health disorders. Through its programs, the company is committed to delivering clinically sophisticated treatment that promotes permanent lifestyle change, not only for the patient but for the entire family network. For more information, visit elementsbehavioralhealth.com.