Motivation and Readiness for Therapeutic Community Treatment among Cocaine and Other Drug Abusers

Abstract

There is currently little empirical research on the effect of motivation and readiness on the treatment of different groups of substance abusers. In the present study, the CMRS scales are used to assess motivation and readiness for treatment of a large sample of primary alcohol, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine abusers admitted to a long-term residential therapeutic community. Findings show few significant differences in overall retention or initial motivation and readiness. Initial motivation and readiness scores persist as significant predictors of short-term retention in treatment across most groups. Findings support the TC perspective that the substance abuse problem is the person, not the drug of choice, and are consistent with prior research emphasizing the importance of dynamic rather than fixed variables as determinants of retention.