A Novel Person-Centered Treatment Component for Substance Use Treatment

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Depression; Substance Use Disorders; Bipolar Disorder; Personality Disorders; Psychosis
• Interventions: Behavioral: Natural Recovery-Horticulture; Behavioral: Natural Recovery-Art/Music

• Registration Number: NCT02005367
• Lead Sponsor: Hampton VA Medical Center

Brief Summary

A person-centered substance use treatment component, the Natural Recovery Program, was developed in a residential substance use treatment setting. The Natural Recovery Program is comprised of small group therapy combined with pursuit of hobbies. The study examined treatment retention, treatment completion and satisfaction of participants of Natural Recovery compared to those who participated in core residential treatment activities alone.

Detailed Description

METHODS: Retrospective record review of 643 veterans in an inpatient Mental Health Recovery and Rehabilitation Program was used to determine if participants of Natural Recovery had a different rate of treatment retention and completion than those who participated in the core program alone. Univariate and multivariate analysis was conducted on: participation in the Natural Recovery Program, comorbid psychiatric disorders, legal, medical and psychiatric issues.

PARTICIPANTS: The records of 643 veterans treated in DAP (residential rehabilitation treatment program) at a Veteran's Administration hospital between November, 2009 and March, 2011 were analyzed retrospectively in a quasi-experimental design. The researchers were not blind to participation and participation in the program was an elective component, not randomized. All patients enrolled in DAP were eligible to participate in a novel program called Natural Recovery. Fifteen percent participated in Natural Recovery-Horticulture (n=101), five percent participated in Natural Recovery-Art/Music (n=30) and seventy-nine percent elected to participate in the DAP Core Program only (DAP-CP) (n=512). One percent (n=8) participated in both tracks of Natural Recovery.

PROCEDURE: Participants in Natural Recovery received a one-hour small group therapy session during the week using modules with a staff facilitator while DAP-CP participants attended a large psychoeducational group at that time. Participants in Natural Recovery were given a choice of tracks, either Horticulture or Art/Music based on personal preference. The modules employ analogies between the recovery process and their chosen hobby. Although hobbies were different between the two tracks of Natural Recovery, the fourteen modules covered the same concepts; only the analogy portion of each handout differed.

Natural Recovery participants also pursued four hours of their hobby on each weekend day while DAP-CP participants received large group psychoeducational lectures on weekends during the same amount of time. Thus, total substance use treatment hours between Natural Recovery participants and DAP core program (DAP-CP) participants were equivalent. Additionally, all Natural Recovery-Art/Music, Natural Recovery-Horticulture and DAP-CP participants received one "Leisure Education" lecture.

All participants were free to pursue hobbies during treatment but Natural Recovery participants received materials (access to gardening tools and gardening zones, were provided musical instruments and/or art supplies) to pursue their choice of hobby on the weekend. DAP-CP participants could pursue hobbies during treatment but were not provided musical instruments or art materials, nor did they have access to gardening tools to work in the garden although they could walk in it.

MATERIALS: The modules of Natural Recovery have been previously published and constitute 14 topics, each of which is discussed weekly for 14 weeks \[33\]. Participants could repeat Natural Recovery modules if their length of stay exceeded 14 weeks. The total number of modules was recorded for each participant.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2011-06
• Primary Completion: 2011-12
• Study Completion: 2011-12
• Study First Submitted: 2013-11-26
• Status Verified: 2013-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2013-12-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2013-12-04
• Study First Posted: 2013-12-09
• Last Update Posted: 2013-12-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 643

Inclusion Criteria

• All patients enrolled in the residential substance use treatment program

Exclusion Criteria

• None

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Natural Recovery-Horticulture	Natural Recovery-Horticulture	Participants in Natural Recovery-Horticulture received a one-hour small group therapy session during the week using one module per week with a staff facilitator and also pursued four hours of their hobby on each weekend day for up to 14 weeks.
Natural Recovery-Art/Music	Natural Recovery-Art/Music	Participants in Natural Recovery-Art/Music received a one-hour small group therapy session during the week using one module per week with a staff facilitator and also pursued four hours of their hobby on each weekend day for up to 14 weeks.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Treatment Completion	Up to 150 days	Treatment completion was defined as regular discharge from the program, which was between 1 and 150 days.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Satisfaction with program	up to 150 days	Satisfaction with either DAP-CP, Natural Recovery-Horticulture or Natural Recovery-Art/Music was measured at the time of discharge on a Likert scale of 1-5 where 5 was highest.
Treatment Retention	up to 150 days	Treatment retention was defined as the number of days in treatment, from 1-150 days.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hampton VAMC, Department of Mental Health & Behavioral Sciences; 🇺🇸 Hampton, Virginia, United States