The extent that field dependence/independence and motivation predicts the variability in length of stay in a drug and alcohol treatment facility

This study investigated field-dependence/field-independence, circumstance, motivation, and readiness for treatment to determine if these dependent variables showed a relationship to length of stay in an alcohol and drug treatment facility. It was theorized that if a positive relationship was found between these dependent variables, particularly field dependence, and the independent variable, length of stay in treatment, then interventions based on whether a person was field-dependent or field-independent might be developed to assist individuals who abuse substances to stay in treatment until completion (and thus have a greater probability of treatment success).; The population consisted of 49 male participants (ages 25 to 45) recovering from alcohol and drug abuse only and who resided in an alcohol, drug, and psychiatric hospital. A demographic questionnaire and two tests were used to gather data. Witkin's Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) assessed participants' field-dependence versus field-independence, and the Circumstances, Motivation, and Readiness Scales for Substance Abuse Treatment (CMR) measured circumstance (C1 and C2), motivation, and readiness for treatment. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was the statistical method employed, which was computed in sets. F-tests were used to compute the significance of each set of variables. Then, a cross-validation technique was used to assess the dimensionality of the best model and to reduce the possibility for overfitting the model. Assigning randomly 30% and 70% of the cases into two groups segregated the data. The identical hierarchical regression analyses were computed on each group to assess the “goodness of fit” of the final model.; Field-dependence and C₂ (loss of family, children, and employment) were strongly significant predictors of length of stay in a treatment facility of individuals who abuse drugs and alcohol. Given these results, ascertaining the psychological field of persons addicted to drugs/alcohol (i.e., whether they are field-dependent or field-independent) could aide in their substance abuse treatment if they remain in treatment until completion because the intervention selected would more closely match the traits of each individual.