Given the prevalence of substance abuse in general clinical populations, it is important for healthcare providers to have knowledge and skill in the treatment of these problems. Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) involves the integration of the best evidence with clinical expertise and patient values. This text is designed as a bridge for practitioners that will provide up-to-date evidence reviews as well as information on how to best keep up with emerging trends in the field. The editors have gathered expert authors to provide a much needed summary of the current status of the evidence based practice for both the assessment and treatment of specific substance use disorders.

"This volume in Springer's well-conceived Comparative Treatments [for] Psychological Disorders Series was designed to examine psychotherapy approaches to chemical dependence treatmentÖ[it] provides important theoretical and clinical information that will be of great use to psychotherapy students, particularly those at the graduate level. It will make an excellent companion resource to many specific chemical dependence treatment texts because it provides a variety of theories that are clearly linked to practical intervention strategies." --International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy, August 2000. This volume addresses a clinical problem seen by most mental health professionals--the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Drs. Dowd and Rugle have assembled top professionals in the field to address the same case to illuminate the strengths and weaknesses of different therapeutic approaches to substance abuse. Treatment modalities include psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, REBT, family therapy, and more. The volume also presents current outcome research for evidence-based interventions.

Ever since the Shanghai convention in 1909, the threat posed to human well-being by drug abuse has led countries around the world to take action to deal with their drug problems. There are wide variations in the policies pursued, but most countries try to reduce both the supply of and the demand for drugs. Unfortunately, there is little research consensus on the respective merits of these two approaches or about the best ways to pursue them. Consequently, control and prevention policies are mostly driven by political considerations, economic realities and cultural expectations, though research has played an important part in formulating and evaluating treatments for drug addiction. This volume reviews studies on drug abuse prevention and treatment strategies under five main areas: 1. Reducing supply - strategies to control the flow of drugs from production to retail distribution; 2. Reducing demand - prevention of drug use at all stages of involvement and consumption levels; 3. Reducing harm - promoting situational risk reduction practices for regular users, addicts and recreational users; 4. Reducing addiction - drug treatment options for various groups in various settings; and 5. Drug policies and prescriptions - focused on debates about prohibition and legalization.