Applying interventions designed to reduce and manage the symptoms of substance use disorders.
Treatment
Motivational Interviewing. Change: Desire, Ability, Reason, Need, and Commitment
This blog includes videos, podcasts and other resources to learn more about motivational interviewing and other counselling approaches.
The Readiness Ruler as a Measure of Readiness to Change Poly-Drug Use in Drug Abusers
Abstract Readiness to change is a crucial issue in the treatment of substance use disorders. Experiences with methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) has shown that continuous drug and alcohol use with all its consequences characterize most...
Transference vs. Countertransference: What’s the big deal?
You may be feeling overwhelmed by the number of new terms, theories, and practices you are learning. With all of the clinical information, you are consuming it can be easy to gloss over the concepts of transference and countertransference...
The Forest and the Trees: Relational and Specific Factors in Addiction Treatment
Abstract Aims Increased expectations for the use of evidence‐based methods in addiction treatment have fueled a debate regarding the relative importance of ‘specific’ versus ‘common’ factors in treatment outcome. This review explores the...
The Role of the Early Therapeutic Alliance in Predicting Drug Treatment Dropout
Abstract Background To investigate the role of the therapeutic alliance in predicting length of retention in residential drug treatment. Methods The study recruited 187 clients starting residential rehabilitation treatment for drug misuse...
The Role of the Therapeutic Alliance in the Treatment of Substance Misuse: A Critical Review of the Literature
ABSTRACT Background: In the past two decades, a number of studies investigating the role of the therapeutic alliance in drug treatment have been published and it is timely that their findings are brought together in a comprehensive review...
30th TheMHS Conference
The Mental Health Services (TheMHS) Conference is Australasia’s leading and most diverse mental health conference. It is held in a different city around Australia and New Zealand each year and attracts approximately 1,000 delegates annually.
The theme for the 2020 Conference is ‘Balancing the System’.
Recovery Month 2019
Every September the Recovery Month Campaign aims to increase awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders and celebrate the people who recover. Over the years, Recovery Month has promoted and supported new evidence...
National Drugs Forum 2019
The Health Research Board and the Department of Health will host the 2nd annual National Drugs Forum in Croke Park on 5th of November.
The theme of the forum is Inclusion Health: Responding to the complex health needs of people who use drugs.
Prevention of Drug-Related Deaths
Opioids are a class of drugs that act on the nervous system to produce feelings of pleasure and pain relief. Opioids have a high potential for causing addiction in some people and can cause life-threatening health problems, including the...