A comparison of treatment perspectives between adolescent males in residential treatment for substance use and their counselors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate therapeutic progress for adolescent males in residential treatment for substance use and compare their perspective of treatment progress with their counselor's measures of therapeutic progress. Participants in this study were from a residential treatment facility for adolescent males (n = 13) with substance use problems and their respective counselors (n = 2). Improvement in areas of problem severity and coping were observed by both adolescents and counselors; limited progress was noted in commitment to follow-up. Large discrepancies between adolescent clients and counselors related to therapeutic progress were found, with adolescent clients identifying much higher progress in problem severity, coping, and commitment to follow-up than their counselors. Therapeutic gains for adolescent males in residential treatment for substance use might be small. Large differences may be apparent in how adolescent, male clients perceive their progress compared to how their counselors perceive client progress.