Treatment of Methamphetamine Abuse—Lack of Evidence for the Efficacy of Any of the Models Currently in Use

Traditional treatment programs based on the Minnesota Model (28-day in-patient treatment) have been shown to be ineffective for the treatment of stimulant addiction. Both the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) have sponsored research into the efficacy of treatments for methamphetamine (MA) abuse. A third program that has been put forward as a potentially useful model for the treatment of MA abuse is the Haight Ashbury Outpatient Model. Although the program that is currently receiving the greatest national attention, the Matrix Model, has been shown to be promising, none of these models has been effectively evaluated for its efficacy for the treatment of MA abuse.