The effectiveness of long-term rehabilitation programmes

As the consequences of illicit drug use become more widespread amongst all sectors of our society, the relevance of long term rehabilitation continues to grow. A review of the literature reveals that although there has been considerable debate over the last decade surrounding the effectiveness of longterm rehabilitation, especially that involving residential TCs, research still predicts better outcomes for this treatment modality. This paper will explore some of the principle reasons why long-term rehabilitation has remained so effective. It will also examine how, 12 years after its inception, the Caritas New Hope Programme in Malta is evolving into a holistic and biopsychosocial project offering a range of services to drug users in rehabilitation.peer-reviewe