Therapeutic Outcome Study

Red Oak Recovery^® is constantly striving to improve and adapt our program to assure the highest quality, most effective services are being delivered to our clients and families. As part of this continuing effort, Red Oak Recovery^® is participating in a comprehensive state-of-the-art research study with the Center for Research, Assessment, and Treatment Efficacy (CReATE) and the University of Arkansas at the Arkansas Institute of Developmental Science and the Intervention Sciences Laboratory. This scientific study focuses on measuring the changes associated with the symptoms of substance use disorders in our clients, as well as other critical issues which impact the course of recovery for young adults. Some of these issues include:

• Comorbid psychopathology explores the presence of additional psychopathological disorders that co-occur with a primary disorder.
  
• Traumatic event exposure refers to an event which is extremely upsetting and/or life threatening, which may happen directly to an individual or someone they are close to, or be witnessed by this individual. This can result in a variety of psychiatric conditions, such as PTSD, acute stress disorder, or adjustment disorders. However, traumatic event exposure, even in the absence of a diagnosable mental health disorder, is associated with increased risk for substance misuse.
  
• Mindfulness and emotion regulation are core components of overall wellness and can be protective factors, promoting resilience. Mindfulness practices attempt to create greater awareness and acceptance of emotions, rather than changing thought content. Emotion regulation generally refers to an individual's ability to manage negative emotional states in an adaptive manner. It is a critical component of overall self-regulation.
  
• Community and social support
  
• Quality of life
  
• Satisfaction with services

Exploring the depths of these categories and the ways in which our recovery program addresses them will assist us in continuing to make evidence-based decisions about the best, and most effective, ways to work with our families. Red Oak Recovery^® is pleased to be part of this pioneering study and is looking forward to reviewing the results of this important programmatic research.