The overall aims of the work are to:
- evaluate the impact of drug treatment on a range of outcome measures;
- establish which types of treatment pathways produce the best outcomes for particular subgroups of drug users;
- provide a cost benefit analysis of drug treatment based on the outcome measures;
- explore reasons for the non take-up of drug treatment of problematic drug users who refuse or drop out of treatment; and
- deliver early indicative findings by Autumn 2006 which can be fed into SR 2007 and a full report later in 2007.
- How does drug treatment impact on outcomes, specifically levels of drug and alcohol use; offending behaviour; physical and mental health; and wider social outcomes?
- How does this vary by different a) referral sources (specifically whether or not a client is referred through the criminal justice system), b) pathways through drug treatment, c) drug use patterns; and d) individual characteristics (e.g. perceptions and attitudes)?
- What are the costs associated with these outcomes and can any cost benefit be measured?
- How can the different treatment pathways undertaken by individuals be classified and compared?
- How and why do retention rates on treatment programmes vary for individuals?