Substance Use, Abuse, Dependence Continuum, and Principles of Effec | Page 4

NIDA’s Principles of Effective Drug Treatment
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

13.

No single treatment is appropriate for all individuals.
Treatment needs to be readily available.
Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug
use.
An individual’s treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified as
necessary to ensure that the plan meets the person’s changing needs.
Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical for treatment
effectiveness.
Counseling (individual and/or group) and other behavioral therapies are critical
components of effective treatment for addiction.
Medications are an important element of treatment for many patients, especially when
combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies.
Addicted or drug-abusing individuals with coexisting mental disorders should have both
disorders treated in an integrated way.
Medical detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little
to change long-term drug use.
Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective.
Possible drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously.
Treatment programs should provide assessment for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C,
tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, and counseling to help patients modify or
change behaviors that
place themselves or others at risk of infection.
Recovery from drug addiction can be a long-term process and frequently requires
multiple episodes of treatment.

References
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
(4th ed.).Washington, DC: Author.
Beshears, E., Yeh, S., & Young, N. K. (2005). Understanding substance abuse and facilitating recovery:
A guide for child welfare workers. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (1999). Principles of drug addiction treatment:A research based guide.
Accessed September 18, 2006, at http://www.nida.nih.gov/PODAT/PODAT1.html

E-5