The Use of Node-Link Mapping in Drug Abuse Counseling: The Role of Attentional Factors

Abstract

This study extends previous research on the use of node-link mapping during counseling by addressing the effect that this visual representation technique has on clients with attentional problems. Participants were 13 counselors in a methadone treatment program and their 93 opioid-addicted clients who had been in treatment for more than three months. Both counselors and clients were randomly assigned to mapping-enhanced or standard counseling. Based on a self-report measure assessing attention-related problems of clients, they were categorized as having either adequate or poor levels of attentional stamina and attentional control. Consistent with previous findings, clients in mapping-enhanced counseling had lower percentages of urine samples that were positive for cocaine or heroin. In addition, results suggest that mapping has greater benefits in terms of session attendance and program perception for clients with poor attentional stamina.

Node-Link Mapping in Individual Counseling: Treatment Impact on Clients with ADHD-Related Behaviors

“…The indication that both mapping conditions provided advantages for clients with high levels of ADHD prob lems and not for those with low problems is consistent with our prior fi ndings on attentional difficulties (Czuchry et al 1995;Dansereau, Joe & Simpson 1995). One hy pothesis that has been offered is that the use of maps provides an external focus that helps certain clients main tain their attention and resist distractions.…”

“…Dansereau et al 1996;Pitre, Dansereau & Joe 1996;Czuchry et al 1995;Dansereau, Joe & Simpson 1995;) as well as in residential drug abuse treatment settings (Collier et al . 2001 Newbern, Dansereau & Dees 1997).…”

A conceptual framework for drug treatment process and outcomes

“…Results indicate that this type of conceptual visualization technique reduces reliance on purely verbal communication (Dansereau et al, 1993), increases attentional focus (Czuchry, Dansereau, Dees, & Simpson, 1995), and improves memory for session content (K. Knight, Simpson, & Dansereau, 1994). Further, the use of mapping has been shown to be effective in a variety of settings and with a variety of drug treatment outcome measures (Collier, Czuchry, Dansereau, & Pitre, 2001;Dansereau et al, 1995;Dansereau, Joe, Dees, & Simpson, 1996;Newbern, Dansereau, & Dees, 1997;Pitre, Dansereau, & Joe, 1996;Pitre, Dansereau, Newbern, & Simpson, 1998), including treatment for gambling (Melville, Davis, Matzenbacher, & Clayborne, 2004) and HIV/AIDS risk reduction in prison populations (S. S. Martin, O'Connell, Inciardi, Surratt, & Beard, 2003).…”

HIV/AIDS Among Probationers: An Assessment of Risk and Results from a Brief Intervention

“…Research indicates that thought mapping is an effective way of overcoming cognitive defi cits (Knight, Simpson & Dansereau 1994). In addition, thought mapping has been found to be effective with cocaine abusers (Joe et al 1994), for those with attention deficit problems (Czuchry et al 1995), and for those with little education (Pitre, Dansereau & Joe 1996). The overlap of the probation population's characteristics and the popula tion with which thought mapping is most effective-those with lower literacy, lower verbal skills, and less education suggests that incorporating thought mapping into an HIV Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 440 prevention intervention targeted at high-risk individuals on probation will facilitate behavior change.…”