Aspen Achievement Academy Participates in Outdoor Behavioral Health Study
Conclusive Results on Program's Effectiveness in Treating Substance Abuse Issues
(CERRITOS, CA – February 20, 2007) -- Aspen Achievement Academy, a licensed outdoor treatment program for adolescents, recently participated in an independent research study that found that teens struggling with substance abuse report reduced frequency of use and a greater inclination to work on the emotional or social issues that trigger their behavior following treatment in an outdoor program. The study was conducted by the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative (OBHRC) at the University of Minnesota and was designed to determine to what degree outdoor behavioral healthcare (OBH) program students change over the course of treatment and to what degree they maintain these changes after leaving the program. It is the nation’s first large-scale study to specifically address the effectiveness of OBH programs in treating teen substance use issues.
Aspen Achievement Academy was one of five programs to participate in the research, and has been an active member in OBHRC’s outcome studies research for several years.
“Aspen Achievement Academy is committed to providing struggling teens and their families the most effective, proven treatments available,” said Gil Hallows, an executive committee member of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council (OBHIC) and executive director of Aspen Achievement Academy. “This recent study provides some significant insights into the achievements of outdoor behavioral health programs and reinforces our belief in their ability to help teens understand their substance abuse problems so that they have a chance at recovery.”
Findings showed that the majority of participating teens with serious or significant substance use issues who previously were rated as “passive” about or “reluctant” to address problem behaviors became “actively interested” in working on or overcoming the issues triggering their substance use after attending an outdoor behavioral healthcare program. Other findings included significant reductions in symptoms of pre-existing depression, anxiety and stress after attending a program.
“The study demonstrates that state-licensed and nationally accredited private outdoor behavioral health programs can positively inspire or motivate adolescents to actively think about why they use or abuse drugs or alcohol,” said lead researcher Keith C. Russell, Ph.D., who directs the OBHRC. “While we acknowledge that there is no overnight cure for substance abuse, these programs can provide an important first step for adolescents to address and overcome the often serious emotional and behavioral issues underlying their actions.”
The study was composed of 872 adolescents ages 13-17 diagnosed with: a substance use issue (75.2 percent); both a substance use and mental health issue (50 percent); or only a mental health issue (20 percent). Prior to participation in the program, 44 percent of teens demonstrated no willingness to address the issues that triggered their substance abuse, 30 percent were reluctant to take action, and 28 percent were actively trying to address problems important to their well-being. Average treatment length for participants was approximately 45 days. At discharge from the program, 90 percent of the students had shifted to actively addressing problems that triggered their substance use.
At a six-month follow-up interval, participants reported significant reductions in the frequency of substance use, especially among those who were admitted to residential aftercare programs. Students who originally reported the most severe symptoms showed the greatest improvement. In terms of treatment satisfaction, 67 percent of the teens participating in the study said they would recommend an outdoor behavioral healthcare program to a friend in trouble and 58 percent stated their problems were much improved.
The following are highlights of this study.
Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs Significantly Improve A Teens Problems
When teens were surveyed upon admission to the program:
- 75.2% were abusing drugs or alcohol
- 21.4% had a mental health diagnosis including depression, anxiety and stress
- 50% were admitted with both a substance use and a mental health diagnosis
Why This May Be Important To You: When parents make the decision to send their child to an Aspen Education Group OBH program, they expect that the program will help improve their child’s problems. The results of this study indicate that for almost 90% of teens who attend an OBH program, their problems are better as a result of the program.
Teens Would Recommend Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare To Friends In Trouble
2 out of 3 teens would recommend the program to friends in trouble.
Why This May Be Important To You: Teens are often more honest with their friends than
their own family. When teens in this study indicated they would recommend the programs to their friends who are in trouble, this revelation helps to put the results in a social perspective: it is not just quantitative data collection, but a practical experience that teens want to share with their friends.
Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Treatment Results In Significant Reduction In Mental Health Issues
Both male and female teens were experiencing depression, anxiety and stress at admission. OBH
treatment helped reduce these symptoms, especially in those with more extreme levels, with a continued reduction from discharge through the six-month follow-up.
Why This May Be Important To You: Upon discharge, all teens had less stress, less depression and less anxiety.
Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Treatment Significantly Reduces Substance Abuse
When teens arrived at the program, they were demonstrating medium to high frequency alcohol and drug use. Use was significantly reduced for both teens receiving outpatient aftercare (e.g. living at home with visits to a local therapist) and those receiving inpatient aftercare (e.g. Aspen Education Group residential treatment programs).
Why This May Be Important To You: The drug and alcohol use by teens admitted to the OBH programs reflects similar usage of teens admitted to residential drug and alcohol treatment centers. In other words, OBH programs are an effective alternative to other types of programs.
Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs Prepare Teens For The Future
The majority of teens in the study exhibited extreme resistance to treatment and change upon admission to the program. At discharge, and at the six-month follow-up, the majority of teens indicated an increased awareness of their issues, and an active interest in wanting to change.
Why This May Be Important To You: Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare programs are not just about fixing the current issues, they also provide the foundation to prepare teens for the future.
What this study means for families considering Aspen Education Group’s Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs
Placing your child in any treatment program is a difficult decision. Aspen Education Group knows that any study, no matter how positive the results indicate, will not make the emotional process of placing your child in a program any easier. However, the data from this study indicates that most all adolescents who attend an OBH program, benefit from that program. Aspen Education Group’s outdoor behavioral healthcare programs help create better lives for teens, parents and the whole family. We see the results everyday. They are real.
Located in Loa, Utah, Aspen Achievement Academy is one of the few wilderness programs nationwide to be selected a top teen drug treatment program by Drug Strategies, a Washington, DCbased research institute. The Academy serves adolescents 13-17 and is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Aspen Achievement Academy's innovative, nurturing and effective approach has been written about in the award-winning book “Shouting at the Sky” and featured in documentaries in the United Kingdom.
Aspen Achievement Academy is a part of Aspen Education Group, the nation’s leading provider of education programs for struggling or underachieving young people. With over 30 programs in 12 states and the United Kingdom, Aspen provides to students and families a comprehensive range of therapeutic interventions, including wilderness therapy, boarding schools, residential treatment, and weight-loss programs. Aspen’s success in helping young people overcome substance abuse has been documented and featured in international media, including the United States’ nationally syndicated “Dr.Phil,” A&E Television Network’s documentary series “INTERVENTION™” and in the United Kingdom on ITV’s “Britain’s Youngest Boozers.” Aspen is a division of CRC Health Group, the nation’s largest chemical dependency and related behavioral health organization. For more information about Aspen, please visit www.aspeneducation.com. For more information about the OBHRC study, visit http://www.obhrc.org.
