First preliminary summary from Addiction Change Survey
At the Addiction Research Foundation is conducting research that improves treatment outcomes for persons with substance abuse disorders. As part of this endeavor we have an Addiction Change Survey that we are promoting on our website www.addictionresearchfoundation.org. Thus far we have promoted this survey through Facebook and are beginning our internet push for respondents.
We have some very early results we would like to share at this time. We understand that one of the issues of the results so far is that Facebook is that women are 68% of Facebook users. We received 191 responses 43 males and 148 females. What this resulted in is that 77.5% of our survey takers were women. We understand that in reality males were twice as likely as females to have met the criteria for alcohol dependence or abuse in the past year (10.5% vs. 5.1%).
What we found is that of the persons taking our survey there was a fairly equal distribution among income levels. The minimum age was 20 and the highest age was 73. Of those that took our survey 64.3 of the Males were currently in a 12 step program and 35.7 percent of males were not. Of the females 51 percent were in a 12 step program and 49 percent were not.
We learned the persons in a 12 step program 18.6 percent have never received any treatment with women at 21.3 percent and men at 11.1 percent . 51.3 percent of respondents went to treatment 1-2 times, men representing 49.5 percent and women 49 percent. 14.3 percent of respondents have been to treatment with men at 9.5 percent and women at 15.6 percent. 6.3 percent of the respondents have been to treatment more than 5 times 7.1 percent of men and 6.1 percent of women.
When looking at chemical use of the respondents 3.7 state their using has remained the same, 3.8 percent of men and 3.8 percent of women. Of those in a 12 step program 0 percent say their using has stayed the same. 46.2 percent of respondents not in the 12 steps and 61.4 percent of the 12 step respondents say they have quit using completely. In both groups the male respondents report quitting use completely at 71.4 percent (not in 12 step) and 75 percent (in 12 steps). For women the figure is 42.2 not in 12 steps have stopped chemical use completely compared to 55.9 percent of those in a 12 step program. For those not in a 12 step program no men and 24.4 percent of women report stopping use except for psychiatric medication. In a 12 step program 16.7 of men and 35.6 percent of women report stopping use except for psychiatric medications. 0 percent of men not in a 12 step program and 20 percent of women not in a 12 step program report that they have reduced their chemical use. In the 12 step programs 8.3 percent of men and 5.1 percent of women have reduced their chemical use. 14.3 percent of men not in a 12 step program and 4.4 percent of women not in a 12 step program have changed what chemical they are using. In the 12 step model 0 percent of men and 3.4 percent of women report a change in the chemical they are using.
As we go along it will be of great interest to see if these statistic remain consistent. If so, it could indicate that need to reevaluate the way treatment is conducted will need to be addressed. Right now what we have are more questions… would a non 12 step approach be more beneficial for the 46 percent of persons who have changed their addictive use but do not attend 12 step meetings? Why are there statically more women then men that do not attend 12 step groups (men 35.7% vs women 49%)? Should women and men be treated differently in inpatient settings? Are there people who start in 12 step meetings for shorter times but still benefit from going?
