Barriers to treatment: Why alcohol and drug abusers delay or never seek treatment

• Published in: Addictive behaviors Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 347 - 353
• Main Authors: Cunningham, John A., Sobell, Linda C., Sobell, Mark B., Agrawal, Sangeeta, Toneatto, Tony
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.05.1993; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Alcoholism - rehabilitation; Alcoholism - therapy; Ambulatory Care; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Heroin Dependence - rehabilitation; Heroin Dependence - therapy; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; Substance-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Substance-Related Disorders - therapy; Surveys and Questionnaires; Human; Drug addiction; Poison withdrawal; Motivation; Alcoholism; Treatment compliance; Therapeutic schedule
• ISSN: 0306-4603; 1873-6327
• DOI: 10.1016/0306-4603(93)90036-9

Reasons for delaying or not seeking treatment were compared between outpatient alcohol and drug abusers, and between alcohol abusers who had either resolved their problem without treatment, were currently not resolved, or were in an outpatient treatment program. Outpatient alcohol and drug abusers exhibited few differences in their endorsed reasons for delaying seeking treatment. There were, however, several differences between resolved and nonresolved alcohol abusers who had never sought treatment and alcohol abusers in treatment (e.g., endorsing items such as “wanted to handle problem on own,” “didn't think I had a problem”). Such differences may explain why some problem drinkers do not seek treatment. Treatment implications of these findings are discussed.