Quality of Life in Substance Abuse Treatment

Background: Addiction is acknowledged as a disease which enables health care systems to offer funding or Medi-Cal benefits for treatment giving healthcare access and increasing one’s quality of life for individuals who suffer from addiction. The focus of this study was to assess and determine which treatment interventions were most successful in offering a higher quality of life. Methods: The study included 140 participants of which 48 were females, 88 were men and one identifying as a transgender. Recruitment was conducted from two substance abuse treatment facilities in San Diego, California; Mission Treatment Services (MAT) and Choice in Recovery (DFT). Participants were administered a questionnaire that included the Quality of Life Index, characteristics of addiction, and demographics. Results: There was no significant difference in the Quality of Life between medically assisted treatment and drug-free treatment. However, more Non-Hispanic participants were college graduates and attended medically assisted treatment compared to drug-free treatment. Hispanics were more likely to attend a drug-free treatment. Conclusion: This study discovered substance abuse treatment depends on the individual's needs, criminal justice system status (probation or parole) and preference. Both treatment modalities proved to work as long as it was individualized for the participant specialized needs. Both treatment modalities were equally successful if an individual was truly committed to recovery and psychotherapy was offered.