What are the long term substance use recovery rates following discharge from a treatment program?
Substance use is a chronic health condition and like all chronic conditions cannot be “cured” but can be managed. While there are many studies with different percentages about how many people stay abstinent post treatment, generally it appears that we can expect that at one-year post treatment completion that about 40-60% will have returned to substance use. The converse of this is that 40-60% will still be abstinent. Studies do indicate that even those who return to substance use have a lower level of use.1
Wrong question. It fails to address the specific population, mentally ill drug addicts, City Hall is planning to house in these supportive apartments.
The correct question should be:
What are relapse rates2 for the specific population (mentally ill drug addicts) planning to be housed in the supportive housing?
Relapse rates for mentally ill drug addicts are at least 70%.
This is based on evidence:
- Evidence from peer reviewed medical journals.
- The information is specific to the patient population (mentally ill drug addicts) that City Hall wants to house. Addicts were seeking treatment, submitted to random twice weekly urine analysis and lived in alcohol and drug free supportive housing.
- At 25 weeks 70% were using drugs in the alcohol and drug free supportive housing.3 (Learn more about Relapse Rates »)
Published May 24, 2007.