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When entering Sheridan, participants are evaluated and given a substance abuse or dependence diagnostic impression if they met the appropriate DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, text revision) criteria. Nearly one-third (29 percent) of participants had a cocaine dependence diagnosis, 25 percent had an opioid dependence diagnosis, 25 percent had a cannabis dependence diagnosis, 20 percent had an alcohol dependence diagnosis, and 2 percent were diagnosed with amphetamine dependence. See Appendix B for a breakdown of recidivism and relapse into drug or alcohol use by DSM-IV-TR diagnosis.
When entering Sheridan, participants were asked how troubled they were about their alcohol and drug use. Response categories included Not at all, Slightly, Moderately, Considerably, and Extremely. Of the participants in our sample, 25 said that they were not at all troubled by their alcohol use while nine were extremely troubled by their alcohol use. Ten respondents stated that they were not at all troubled by their drug use while 22 respondents stated that they were extremely troubled by it. Figure 2 describes how troubled study participants were about their substance use upon entering Sheridan.
Figure 2Percent of sample troubled by alcohol or drug use when first entering Sheridan0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%ExtremelyConsiderablyModeratelySlightlyNot at allLevel of concernPercent of sampleAlcoholDrug
Thirty-two study participants had been through drug or alcohol treatment prior to entering Sheridan (including 15 respondents who participated in both drug and alcohol treatment programs). More than half of the sample (59 percent) had previously been to treatment for drug use and 37 percent of respondents had received substance abuse treatment for alcohol. The number of prior treatment episodes for both drug and alcohol treatment episodes ranged from one to four.