Week 10 - treatment and ethics

Question 1

What are the principles of effective treatment?

Answer 1

1. no one single treatment is suitable for all people
2. treatment needs to be readily available
3. effective treatment attends to the multiple needs of individuals
4. treatment plans must be assessed continually
5. crucial to remain in treatment for adequate period of time
6. counselling (individual & group) critical
7. medications are important, especially when combined with counselling and other behavioural therapies
8. clients with coexisting disorders need to be treated for both in an INTEGRATED way
9. medical detoxification is only the first stage of treatment - does little by itself
10. possible drug use must be monitored
11. treatment programmes must provide assessment for blood borne viruses.
12. recover can be a long process- requires multiple episodes of treatment as relapse is almost always going to happen.

40-60% of drug addiction individuals relapse.

Question 2

What is the Biopsychosocial model of Addiction?

Answer 2

Systems, social, psychological & biological variables

Systems = national policies, drug laws, 
Social = intrapersonal relationships, social norms around use, treatment and drug use settings 
Psychological = identity as user, ability to cope, counselling support and services
Biological = dopaminergic award, hypothalamic, pituitary, adrenal axis (HPA) response (mediates effects of stressors by regulating numerous physiological responses to maintain homeostasis). Cortical responses.

Question 3

What is a future recommendation from the MATCH study?

Answer 3

Informed eclecticism:

• no single approach to treatment
• treatments should be constructed with a VARIETY of effective approaches
• different individuals respond to different approaches
• it IS possible to match clients to optimal treatment –> therefore increases effectiveness and efficiency.

Question 4

Consider ethics in AOD practice

Answer 4

illegality of drugs might impact your work
working with drug using parents
clients under 18

when do you terminate treatment?

Question 5

What are the 3 levels of ethics?

Answer 5

macro ethics (theory/framework)

meso ethics (applied/ procedural guidelines)

micro ethics (applied/ in practice)

Question 6

What are barriers for MH professionals?

Answer 6

lack of familiarity with AOD issues
stereotyped beliefs
views on how to manage relapse
concerns about lack of skills and providing ill informed service

Question 7

According to the APS, what are the 3 code of ethics?

Answer 7

Respect, propriety, integrity.

Question 8

What is the difference between clinical and ethical decision making?

Answer 8

Clinical decision making is based on evidence & Ethical decision making is based on respect, propriety, & integrity.