Phoenix House

Abstract

Measures on seven scales of psychopathology were obtained for 200 drug addicts participating in the Phoenix therapeutic community program. Results showed the following: (1) Addicts who come to the program consistently score in the psychiatric range on all scales. (2) The magnitude of the pathology scores is significantly lower for residents in the later stages of the program. (3) Scores also dropped significantly for a group of residents retested after 71/2 moths. (4) Residents who left the program without clinical advice revealed significantly higher pathology scores than those who remained. It was concluded that addition is an aspect of a general sickness dimension which undergoes a positive therapeutic change with time spent in the Phoenix Program.