Objective: The goal of the study was to evaluate whether enhanced normative feedback recovery curves are needed for treatment of substance use problems.
Method: Patient predictors of outcome were examined using data from four substance abuse treatment clinics.
Results: Baseline severity of symptoms/functioning, employment, and craving were found to be associated with rate of change in symptoms/functioning. Several other variables were associated with rate of change in alcohol use, although in the opposite direction than found in efficacy trials.
Conclusions: The results point to the complexity of designing feedback systems using normative recovery curves for those with substance use problems and highlight the important differences between real-world treatment of those with substance use problems compared to data from efficacy trials.
Keywords: Outcome Questionnaire-45; alcohol; feedback; recovery curve; substance abuse.