Article
Developing home-based continuing care: Exploring feasibility and acceptance with parents and young adults
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
(2017)
Abstract
Aims: Each year nearly 113,000 young adults (YAs; 18–25 years old) enter residential treatment programs, but many are not referred or participate minimally in continuing care services after discharge, increasing risk for relapse. This study collected information on the acceptability of a remotely-delivered Home-based Continuing Care (HCC) program for YAs and their parents.
Methods: We surveyed YAs who have been in residential treatment (n = 72) and parents of YAs who have been in residential treatment (n = 42) asking questions about the acceptability of the proposed intervention and potential barriers and solutions to participation. We provided a brief description of the proposed HCC, which combines two programs with proven efficacy: Telephone-based Continuing Care and parent-delivered Contingency Management (CM). Parents and YAs would receive 3–5 skill-focused telephone sessions with a therapist, followed by weekly relapse-risk check-ins with the YA and parent-implemented urine testing and reinforcer delivery.
Results: A majority of parents and young adults indicated that they liked the parental involvement in the program (74% of YAs and 71% of parents). Unexpectedly, a significant portion of YAs expressed approval of their parents testing their urine while a similar proportion of parents disliked the idea. Approximately 60% of the YAs sampled reported they would be living with a parent or other family member after discharge. Nearly 90% of YAs and 80% of parents indicated they would participate in the HCC program were it offered.
Conclusions: The descriptive results suggest that responses were positive enough to merit a pilot study of the program to test its feasibility as a continuing care option for YAs. The pilot study is currently underway.
Disciplines
Publication Date
February 2, 2017
DOI
10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.08.608
Citation Information
Kelly Zentgraf, David Zaslav, Elena Bresani, Kathleen Meyers, et al.. "Developing home-based continuing care: Exploring feasibility and acceptance with parents and young adults" Drug and Alcohol Dependence Vol. 171 (2017) p. e223 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/kimberly-kirby/9/