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A study published in the September 2004 issue of a leading scientific journal reflects Phoenix House's leadership in the treatment of adolescent substance abuse. Researchers at the RAND corporation found that adolescents treated at a Phoenix House Academy demonstrated substantial reductions in drug use and unlawful behavior and an improvement in psychological status - and that the Academy outperformed other juvenile programs in achieving these objectives.
The study, published in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, tracked 175 youths ages 13 to 17 who received treatment at the Phoenix Academy of Los Angeles after being placed on probation by juvenile authorities. The treated group was compared with 274 adolescent probationers with similar profiles - including drug use, criminal activity and other factors - placed in other residential programs.
Adolescents in the study were followed for one year, with researchers collecting periodic information about their drug use, psychological health and criminal behavior.
"This is the first clear evidence that the kinds of substance abuse treatments commonly available to teens can be effective," said RAND Researcher Andrew Morral, Ph.D., lead author of the study. "In the program we studied, improvement began immediately and continued for at least 12 months."
According to the researchers, the results "may suggest that Phoenix Academy treatment fosters coping strategies or develops other internal resources on which youths successfully draw even after they return to the environments that originally contributed to their psychological distress." The study was completed by RAND researchers Andrew R. Morral, Ph.D., Daniel F. McCaffrey, Ph.D., and Greg Ridgeway, Ph.D.
Read the full article in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
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