My Research Methods Page
Treatment Programs for Recovering Alcoholics: A Relapse Prevention Strategy Study
Meaghan M. Curtin
This study intends to find a relationship between treatment program and preventing relapse. Studies show that social/environmental cues increase drug craving and use. Additional studies also suggest that exposure to such cues during treatment fosters extinction, therefore decreasing the likelihood of craving or relapse. Using first-time recovering addicts (18-25), admitted to an in-patient detoxification program in southeastern Pennsylvania, the study’s purpose is to show that exposure to substance-associated cues prolongs relapse. Further it assesses the effectiveness of different treatment types. Alcohol craving and drinking behavior were assessed through self-rating surveys pre- and post treatment. Treatment program and craving levels were also assessed. If results support the proposed hypothesis, cue-exposure might assist treatment programs, thus preventing relapse and maintaining long-term recovery.
*This proposal was written in partial fulfillment of requirements for an undergraduate research methods course and is not intended to be carried out.*
Background Method Statistics/Expected Results Replication/Future Research
Research Proposal: Treatment Programs for Recovering Alcoholics: A Relapse Prevention Study
Text: Substance Abuse Treatment: A Family Systems Perspective (1993). Newbury Park, Calif. :Sage Publications