Treatment Research: Accomplishments and Challenges

Abstract

This article reviews the history of substance abuse treatment and its evaluation. The authors comment on key aspects of this history and its implications for the future. Research has been a key factor in the support of substance abuse treatment and the expansion and improvement of treatment options. Despite the progress in the field, organizational structure and functioning, ambivalence on the moral/medical basis of addiction, and narrow perspectives on evidence-based practice have presented barriers for advancement. Future improvement of treatment is seen as dependent on the partnership of researchers and real world providers, studies of evidence- based practice in a wide variety of community based settings and the consideration of complex and changing real-world environments, particularly for rural, uninsured and under-served populations.