Therapeutic Community (TC) is a treatment modality for drug abusers that has not yet been thoroughly studied in Brazil. The adherence to the TC principles in treatment interns as well as its relation to the process of change during the treatment was investigated. Seven male participants with crack, cocaine, and/or alcohol abuse were assessed at the beginning and end of the treatment using a semi-structured interview guide, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (Improved Readability Form, MMPI-IRF), and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). Results suggest that a better adherence to TC's general principles at the end of the treatment exist. Participants who adhered to the principles of personal change exhibited more expressive changes than those who only adhered to moral and religion-related principles of the CT. This suggest that there are differences between the level of positive outcomes and psychological functioning among abusers.
Therapeutic Community; Substance-Related Disorders; Patient Compliance