Main description:

This book presents an in-depth qualitative study carried out with inpatients under treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) in seven therapeutic communities (TCs) located in three countries: Peru, Nicaragua and Czech Republic. By comparing the experiences in these different cultural contexts, the book presents a grounded theory of SUDs treatment in TCs from a cross-cultural perspective, identifying factors that influence the efficacy of SUDs treatment in TCs based on interviews carried out with inpatients.

Based on rigorous qualitative research methods, this book presents not only a comparative analysis of TCs located in different cultural contexts, but also analyzes the cross-cultural nature of the therapeutic programs adopted in these communities, such as the combination of traditional Amazonian medicine based on the therapeutic use of ayahuasca with conventional psychotherapy and occupational therapy, among other approaches. Departing from the interviews carried out with inpatients, the authors present a comparative analysis of how the different TCs address important issues related to SUDs treatment, and complement this analysis with machine-generated summaries of relevant scientific papers. These summaries contain results of similar research projects conducted in other cultural contexts.

Substance Use Disorders Treatment in Therapeutic Communities: A Cross-Cultural Approach presents the results of a unique comparative study with great translational potential which will be of interest to both researchers and practitioners working in TCs. This unique comparative study identifies factors affecting the efficacy of therapeutic programs and proposes a grounded theory which aims to serve as an important source of information for therapists and other professionals working with SUDs treatment and for the replication of applied therapeutic methods in other TCs.

Contents:

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Theoretical Approaches to SUDs.- Chapter 3. Characteristics of Investigated TCs.- Chapter 4. Qualitative Methods in the Research on SUDs.- Chapter 5. Results of the Data Analysis.- Chapter 6. Effective Factors of the Treatment in TCs.- Chapter 7. Finding Motivation in Recovery.- Chapter 8. Family and Substance Use.- Chapter 9. Sprituality and Religion in SUDs Treatment.- Chapter 10. Substance Use from the Cross-Cultural Perspective.- Chapter 11. Previous Treatments.- Chapter 12. Etiology of Substance Use Disorders.- Chapter 13. Treatment Support.- Chapter 14. Treatment Rules.- Chapter 15. Group Cohesion.- Chapter 16. Impact of Substance Use on the Study or Work.- Chapter 17. Therapeutic Choice in the SUDs Treatment.- Chapter 18. Gender Differences in Treatment of Substance Use Disorders.- Chapter 19. Health Consequences of the Substance Use.- Chapter 20. Treatment Evaluation.- Chapter 21. Relapse Prevention.- Chapter 22. Duration of the Treatment.- Chapter 23. A Cross-Cultural Approach to the Substance Use Disorders Treatment: Limitations and Challenges.