Evaluating The Effectiveness Of E-therapy Compared to In-Patient Treatment for Deaf Consumers of SUD Treatment Services

Since 2008, the Deaf Off Drugs & Alcohol (DODA) Program has been providing culturally appropriate ATOD cessation and recovery support services via telemedicine to Deaf/HH individuals with a clinically diagnosed substance use disorder (SUD). In 2013, a NIDRR Research grant began evaluating the effectiveness of DODA compared with two residential treatment programs using four outcome measures in ASL. The residential programs are the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals and the Awakenings Program in southern California. Consumers (n=78) are from across the United States and represent a wide range of age, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Outcome measures include the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Substance Abuse Screener in American Sign Language (SAS-ASL). Surveys were administered electronically in ASL, and while most consumers completed the self-directed survey online, approximately 20% did the survey by videophone. The latter often occurred as an accommodation when consumers did not have access to a computer during the window for follow-up.  Analysis of baseline responses revealed that 43.6% abused alcohol, 23.1% abused marijuana, 20.5% abused cocaine, 11.5% abused prescription drugs, 10.3% abused methamphetamines, and 3.8% abused opiates.  A preliminary examination shows consumers improving at all three sites with no significant difference in outcomes between consumers receiving in-person care and those receiving electronic services, and suggests that online SUD treatment can provide a cost-effective alternative to inpatient treatment and increase access to care.