Relapse rates after treatment in therapeutic communities: a systematic review

Therapeutic Communities (TC) are residential settings that provide psychosocial rehabilitation for substance-using individuals. In general, TCs have been proven effective, although a large part of the evidence is from studies with methodological shortcomings. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of TCs in terms of relapse rates. The search used EBSCO, PubMed, and Web of Science up to July 29, 2021 and was based on the international Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Of the 94 studies, eight met selection criteria including a total of 2,064 participants from 40 TCs. Of the eight studies, seven were cohort studies and one was a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Findings reveal that TCs were effective in reducing substance use, although some uncertainty remains regarding the long-term persistence of the improvements. Thus, further research is necessary to compare relapse rates in TC programs for substance-related disorders.